Scarlet Waters
by tsubame.hayakaze
Summary: Being reborn into the Bloody Mist wasn't good for one's psyche. [OC SI] [On Hiatus for Editing/Revising]
1. Prologue: The Ending of a Beginning

**Disclaimer:** The only things that I own is this story's plot and any OCs that appear throughout the story. The characters of _Naruto _belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I make absolutely no money.

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**A/N:** Okay, so this is a rewrite of sorts for my other story, _Obscured by Mist_. Unfortunately, I didn't really like where I was going with it and, after fretting about it for a while, I just decided to start a new story (that is also taking place in Kirigakure) starring the same character from said previous story, Shizuka.

The differences in both stories are pretty obvious once you get reading but, hopefully, you'll all like this one a bit better than _Obscured by Mist_. I know I do. Unfortunately for those who liked my previous story, I'm probably going to take it down once I've finished typing up the next chapter. Sorry :(

**P.S.** I just found out there's a character in the show named Shizuka but I'm pretty sure she's a filler character. Just to throw it out there, my Shizuka and that Shizuka don't have anything in common, other than their names... Well, not that I know of, anyways.

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**Scarlet Waters - Prologue - The Ending of a Beginning**

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_"Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till the end: then stop."_

_-_Lewis Carroll_, Alice in Wonderland_

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**.**

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The beginning of my story starts the day that I died on Earth.

It was nothing spectacular, not to me at least; just a vehicle accident that ended with me drowning while still strapped in my car. I remember struggling and panicking a lot but never really getting much done about my predicament. Eventually, I just _gave up_ because I realized that, even if I did escape, I didn't even know how to swim. I remember the water slowly pulling me down, filling me, _becoming me_ and I can still see the sunlight piercing through the waters in fragmented shards.

I remember everything fading to black and then...something changed.

It was cramped, wet and squishy there in the darkness that consumed me and I surmised that I'd fallen into the belly of an unknown monster in the afterlife, as punishment for some crime that I couldn't fathom-possibly for the inability to save myself from death's clutches.

But, then again, I found that I was never in agonizing pain and, while being in the belly of a monster was _extremely_ alarming, the constant pulsating slowly became a lullaby of sorts to me. I ended up spending a lot of my time in the darkness drifting in and out of a half-sleep state.

Then, all of a sudden, the monster's stomach began to tremble violently, making the squishy walls around me clench and squeeze my body and, a few blurry moments later, cold air was hitting me and making my body shiver. I vaguely heard a soft, high-pitched whining noise as a warm liquid splashed over me and a soft fabric wrapped around my body.

I was thankful for the kind actions but I wished that whoever was making that annoying noise would _shut up_ so I could sleep in peace and forget about the traumatic events that had happened to me. The whining persisted, however, and, when I opened my mouth to tell them to do so, I then realized that it was _me _who making the noise.

I couldn't believe it.

What was I?

A baby? A _reborn_ baby?

With all my wits about me? _How perplexing._

But, as I was placed against what I could only assume was my new mother's bosom, I couldn't help but think one thing.

_Better than being dead_.

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The majority of my time as a baby was not spent in my mother's arms but, instead, they were spent drifting in and out of sleep and staring up at the cracked ceiling of an unknown location.

There were instances where that annoying high-pitched crying was heard through the haziness of my sleep and I knew that it wasn't being produced from me and it gave me an inkling of where I was.

Once I'd turned about seven months old and was able to sit up without any help, my suspicions were confirmed once I saw the dreary room I resided in was filled with cribs holding children of varying ages-between newborns and toddlers. It seemed that my parents had expired early and left me alone in the world.

Oh well.

I know it wasn't exactly the most pleasant of situations but it didn't really make much of difference to me. Either I had parents or I didn't have them; little would change because I already possessed a matured mind compared to others. No amount of coddling or caring-or lack thereof-would've changed me.

After discerning my immediate whereabouts, I spent a lot of time merely _staring_ at the people and babies around me because something was _off_ about them. Not them personally as people but...it was their appearances that caught me off-guard or, in particular, it was their hair that bothered me.

The colors ranged from black, browns and light blondes to light blues, dark purples and many other colors I _knew_ weren't natural in the least. Even my little tufts of red hair weren't standard; instead of an ordinary auburn, burnt orange or burgundy color, my hair was literally red-a bright, fire engine red color that _wasn't_ supposed to be possible.

There were times where only one question would be on my mind.

_Where exactly am I?_

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The orphanage that I lived in didn't have a name and it wasn't in the best of shape to care for the excessive amount of children that it contained-there were few adoptions, for some reason. The caretakers did the best that they could to accommodate all of us comfortably but the crowding was _so_ bad that, often times, some of the older children ended up being herded off somewhere and the younger children had to share beds with each other.

There were times when I'd heard tales of the older kids being selected for something, for some reason or another, but I never really paid attention as I was too busy trying to grasp the language and learn to read and write from the younger of the two caretakers, Nanami-san, who was nice enough to sit and teach all of us.

Japanese was the language of choice in this world. Learning hiragana and katakana were easy enough, kanji, on the other hand, was a whole different matter. From the clothes to the general atmosphere, I was able to tell I was in some kind of feudal era, which meant many modern words were absent but the amount of kanji it took to actually read properly was still absolutely _mind-blowing_.

By the time I turned two, I was able to walk, speak and hold prolonged yet simple conversations. I didn't speak much, though, preferring to step back and observe the other children in my vicinity. They all acted like average children-loud and annoying-and that was a large reason as to why I simply deemed it easier not to associate with any of them.

...Well, there _was_ this one boy I could tolerate for extended periods of time. Gōzu was his name and he was the elder of a pair of twins. He was also among the few people in the orphanage to have what I qualified as normal colorings i.e. brown hair and brown eyes.

He was just a year older than me but he was just as quiet, speaking in subdued tones and keeping his gaze to the floor. We gravitated towards each other in a way by being the quiet ones of our age group but we accepted each others presence with no qualms.

His brother, Meizu, on the other hand, made me want to punch him in the throat on numerous occasions. He was loud, rowdy and short-tempered, usually getting into chubby fist fights with some of the other boys that made me roll my eyes and Gōzu to sigh in exasperation. Despite being twins, it was stark differences in their personalities that made it easy for them to be told apart.

...

But, even then, there was something about them that was _familiar_. I just couldn't put my finger on it, no matter how hard I tried.

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The first four years of my life passed by without note. However, once my fifth year of living that new life of mine rolled around, things began to change _rapidly_ for me.

"All right, children." The owner of the orphanage, Kasumi-san, clapped her hands together, grabbing our attention. "Could those who are five and six follow me, please?"

We all gathered around the elderly woman. I lingered near Gōzu's side, not really next to him, but a little behind him because Meizu was being his rowdy self and I hadn't been feeling too well lately. It was like something was..._buzzing_ inside my body and it made it difficult to concentrate on things. I told Nanami-san about my problem but she just looked at me weird before shooing me off.

I don't have to tell you that I started disliking her since that day.

"Come along, children." Kasumi-san murmured and we followed her out of the orphanage and into the thick fog that lay outside.

I'd been outside plenty of times before but never past the rickety wooden fence that served as a barrier for us. I never played any games with the other children but I did tend to linger outside and examine the surroundings of the world I'd been born into.

There was _always_ a thick, ominous fog that hung in the air and clung to the skin, almost like a magnet clinging to metal. It was sticky and I hated how every time I came in from being outside, I needed to take a bath, even though, I hadn't performed any strenuous activities.

Eventually, I got over the disgusting fog and let my attention be filled with taking in the strange architecture of the place I lived. The buildings were tall and cylindrical with trees and other greenery topping them. Craggy mountains lingered in the foregrounds and I couldn't help but think that everything was somehow..._familiar_, just like Meizu and Gōzu.

"_Hey, Shizuka_." Meizu whispered harshly. "Do ya think Kasumi-san's taking us to that place they take the older kids every year?"

"_What place_?" I snapped quietly, rubbing my arms and willing away the fit of buzzing my body had been wracked with.

"They are, Meizu." Gōzu said softly. "They're taking us to the Academy."

_The Academy?_ What was he talking about?

"What are you talking about, Gōzu?" I asked, becoming somewhat perturbed with how everything was unfolding. "The...Academy? What's that?"

Gōzu sent me a strange look before he replied, "It's the place where they send us to become ninja, Shizuka." His eyebrows lowered and his lips frowned. "Didn't you know that?"

I was quick to bite my tongue. I _had_ to keep myself from screaming and making a fool out of myself but... It was _hard._

_It couldn't be_...! I couldn't be in such a place! A place that was nothing more than a comic series-a work of **fiction**!

But I was.

I must've stayed in denial for the longest of times. I must've ignored the way the kids played with cardboard cut suspiciously like shuriken and I must've ignored the men in flak jackets with glints of steel on their heads who came to visit a few months ago. I must've ignored the fog and the strange buildings and _**the obvious signs that this place was the Bloody Mist!**_

I bit my tongue once more and the coppery tang of blood touched my taste buds. Gōzu sent me another disturbed look but didn't respond and I was _so happy_ that he didn't.

I couldn't think properly.

I couldn't think with the buzzing in my body, which I now knew must've been_ chakra_. I couldn't think when Kasumi-san was carting us off to die in the Academy. I couldn't think when two characters from a _**book**_ were walking right in front of me and acting like normal people, like they were _**real**_.

I couldn't do it but something drove my feet to keep walking, to keep bringing me closer to my doom. Was it adrenaline? Or was it some morbid curiosity that was embedded deep into my subconscious?

I continued walking, following after others as if I were in some sort of trance, and, eventually, we came to what I knew was the Academy. The building was cylindrical like all the others in Kirigakure but another section of the building was carved into one of the various craggy mountains that surrounded us.

I followed closely behind the two boys who would be known as the Demon Brothers in the future and, under the high ceiling, we huddled behind Kasumi-san as the judging stares of the various shinobi families bore into us.

Suddenly, my body _froze_ as a surge of sheer _power _flickered into the room. The soft whispers and murmurings that once filled the space ceased immediately and I knew _exactly_ the person who could command such a response.

I knew who it was. I didn't want to look because I _knew who it was_ but my body disobeyed my frantic, internal screams of terror. My body slowly leaned to the side and it stiffened once I caught sight of sandy hair and magenta eyes.

Yagura. _In the flesh_.

My body shook as his eyes roved over the crowd of people slowly before his lips turned up into a small smirk.

"Why..." His smirk grew a bit larger. "You're a pathetic looking bunch, aren't you?"

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**A/N:** In regards to the Academy, I assume that most of the students are a mixture of orphans and shinobi family children. Due to the fact that the graduation test to become a genin is to kill of your whole class, I'm assuming that civilians most definitely won't let their children step foot into the Academy for a second. To make up for that lack of students, Yagura just simply gathers the homeless children off the streets and the children from the orphanages and throws them into the Academy without a second thought because essentially they're cannon fodder for the more experienced kids.

Then again, we did see Zabuza-who wasn't even a student at the time-wipe out over a hundred presumably genin-ranked students.

In that case, I like to compare Yagura to Ashnard (_Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance_) in the respect that they don't care about your background, as long as you're strong and loyal, you're good in his book... _Sorta_...


	2. I: End of a Small Sanctuary

**Disclaimer:** The only things that I own is this story's plot and any OCs that appear throughout the story. The characters of Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I make absolutely no money.

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**Scarlet Waters - Chapter One - End of a Small Sanctuary**

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_"Either it brings tears to their eyes or else-"_

_"Or else what?" said Alice, for the Knight had made a sudden pause._

_"Or else it doesn't, you know."_

-Lewis Carroll, _Alice in Wonderland_

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_I knew who it was. I didn't want to look because I knew who it was but my body disobeyed my frantic, internal screams of terror. My body slowly leaned to the side and it stiffened once I caught sight of sandy hair and magenta eyes._

_Yagura. In the flesh._

_My body shook as his eyes roved over the crowd of people slowly before his lips turned up into a small smirk._

_"Why..." His smirk grew a bit larger. "You're a pathetic looking bunch, aren't you?"_

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I let out a shuddering breath as I forced myself to calm down and relax my painfully tense limbs. Undeniable proof that I was in a different universe stood before me in the form of Yagura, who leered at us with barely concealed amusement and who sported a dangerous presence that seemed to suck disobedience out of all who stood in the room.

I had my proof right in front of me and coming to terms with it in practice wasn't as hard as it seemed to be in theory. The last thing I needed was having a mental breakdown in the middle of a speech carried out by the Mizukage, Yagura -or Madara or Obito or _whoever the hell it was_. The outcome would most likely prove to be _fatal _for me and dying again wasn't present on my list of goals.

If it became that big of an issue for me later on down the road, I'd just scream into a pillow or _something_, but, right now, I needed to be vigilant to everything around me and everything that came spouting from Yagura-Madara-Obito's mouth.

Yagura scrutinized us for a moment longer before chuckling lightly under his breath. "Don't worry about it. We'll soon remedy that..." He cleared his throat as he stood a little straighter. "Welcome to the Mist's Academy. From here on, you'll be trained to become shinobi, invaluable members of our village."

"Ninja are many things, but most importantly, they are the _spine_ of our village. They serve as both our sword and shield. Shinobi are our _main asset_ and, as our main asset, we will _not_ tolerate weakness for _weakness_ spells the destruction of Kirigakure as a whole."

His arms folded behind his back as he continued on, "We are not like the other elemental nations -we will not coddle you or hold your hands. We will not protect you from the harsh reality that _all_ shinobi are expected to face." His eyes hardened and his face turned grim. "We will not breed _failures_."

"You are to train to become shinobi for your village. Out of duty. Not for friends or family or even _yourselves_. Kirigakure comes _first_ and first _only_." Yagura's expression pulled back into a smirk. "_That _is your duty as shinobi. Do you understand?"

The was a pregnant pause that was filled with bewildered, hesitant nods from everyone in the room, even Kasumi-san who was only there to drop us into our new lives. Yagura nodded shortly, his hand rose and his pointer finger lifted upwards. "_Good_."

"Now, there is only one rule that you will need to remember: you do _what_ we say, _when_ we say it because we _told _you to. If someone of a higher ranking tells you to do something -which, at this point, is _everyone_ in the Shinobi Corps- you _will_ do what they say. No questions asked whatsoever." His finger folded back into his palm, forming a fist. "Insubordination is not tolerated and _will _be punished **severely**."

The threat hung in the air like a bomb waiting to drop on us all. I forcibly suppressed the urge to cry, afraid that if I showed even a _hint_ of weakness, Yagura wouldn't hesitate to end me right then and there.

He once again nodded shortly. "Now then... Tomorrow will be the first real day of Academy so that today can be used for some individuals to be relocated into their new quarters." He shot our group a quick glance that had me stiffening in brief panic. "However, I expect that by tomorrow morning, all of you will be prepared for what is to come." Yagura gave the room another sweeping look. "I reiterate once more: failure is_ not _tolerated here in Kirigakure, therefore, it'd be in your best interest not to do so."

Yagura vanished after a moment longer, leaving no physical trace of his presence there. I let out a sagging sigh as his oppressive chakra dissipated from the room and Kasumi-san whispered some words of departure to us before she ushered us off to a shinobi that had a group of children near him. They were in clothes decidedly more grungy than ours but were as equally bewildered and that let me know that these were children who must've been picked directly up off the streets as I'd never seen them in the orphanage.

_Poor creatures_, I thought to myself as the shinobi regarded us with obvious disinterest. _But aren't we all?_

"Come." He said shortly and, with Yagura's speech still fresh in our minds, we followed after the man without so much as a peep.

He led us to a place a fair distance from the school building. It was a compound of some sort, built similarly to the Academy with a portion of the building embedded into one of the multiple mountains that surrounded the village. There was an expanse of flat land near the side of the building and I guessed that it was for sparring and training -a place I would no doubt be frequenting in the near future.

We entered the building and stopped in the lobby area. The shinobi turned to us, that apathetic look still on his face as he pulled out a paper from his pocket.

"This is where you'll be staying for the duration of your time as trainees. You each will be assigned a roommate that will be with you until you've graduated from the Academy as official genin of Kirigakure." He said dully as he pulled out a stack of paper slips. "These are vouchers for food, clothes, gear, etc. You will recieve a new one on the first of every month. If you lose them before then, you're not getting another one so it'd be wise to keep up with it."

Most of us nodded and the man proceeded to call out the names for room assignments and hand out the vouchers. I shifted on my feet as I watched the children disappear two-by-two down the corridors and up the set of stairs that took up the lobby. Surprisingly enough, Meizu and Gōzu were separated from each other and I watched with slight sympathy as Gōzu and a chubby boy awkwardly walked down a hallway together. I looked over my shoulder to see Meizu's face scrunched into what looked like betrayal and I thought about comforting him but, ultimately, decided against it because he was still annoying to me and I had my own problems to deal with.

"Room 215: Shizuka and Yamame." The shinobi called out and I stepped forward to receive the slip of paper he was giving out. As I took it, I could see a girl with oddly-styled brown hair stepping forward out the corner of my eye. She sent me a frown as she took her voucher and I inclined my head in greeting, just to make her angry.

"Your room's upstairs." The shinobi jerked his head towards the steps and we set off towards our new..._home_.

I couldn't help but grimace slightly about it. I hadn't particularly liked the orphanage but it was _normal _and _safe_. I was able to live in my delusional world filled with staring at the familiar architecture and batting away at the heavy fog but, now, I was expected to lay down my life for a village I didn't even _care_ about and, as I've stressed before, dying again is _not_ on my list of priorities.

"Ugh!" The girl, Yamame, scoffed as we located our quarters and entered. "Couldn't they have given us something _better_?"

I sighed lightly as I took in the room. There were two beds with no sheets, a small refrigerator and stove, a closet and a small table; we even had a small window facing the village. All-in-all, the room was reminiscent to a college dorm and I was inwardly relieved about that for some reason. Perhaps, it was an innocent reminder of my previous life.

I stared down at the coupon in my hands, brain scrambling to actually understand how much we had to work with. We'd only been issued one voucher each and all of our expenses -food, gear, miscellaneous- had to come out of this _one_ coupon. My eyes rolled slightly and I wondered why they couldn't just give us an allowance like they did in Konohagakure but, then, I remembered that this was _Kirigakure_ and not Konoha. If this were Konoha, I would be happily going to the civilian school without too much of a care in the world.

Things weren't that easy for me, however.

"Hey, you!" Yamame said as she plopped on the bed closest to the window. "This bed is _mine_, okay?"

Nodding shortly, I looked around the room once more before turning on my heel. "I'm going shopping. Do you want to come?" Not because I actually wanted company but because I wanted to put our funds together.

Yamame pursed her lips and rubbed her chin, appearing to be in thought. "_Weeeell_, I don't know..."

"Whatever." I shrugged my shoulders, exiting the room and intent on finding Gōzu. Hopefully, he would pool together with me and, maybe, we could find Meizu to pitch in. Maybe.

A squawk was heard and, within moments, the brown-haired girl was by my side. Her cheeks puffed in anger and her shoulders hunched as she glared at me. "I was gonna say yes! If you'd have waited-"

"We don't have time to wait." I cut her off abruptly. "We have class tomorrow _and_ we have to get the right supplies to live with all in one day. I don't know about you but I don't want to be on the Mizukage's bad side because I wasn't prepared enough."

Yamame stiffened at that, presumably because I'd mentioned Yagura, and I couldn't blame her. I didn't respect Yagura but I sure as hell was _afraid_ of him. I wasn't sure when Madara-Obito started their genjutsu control over the small man but there seemed to be evidence that Yagura wasn't the nicest of leaders in the first place.

"Y-yeah, well..." She stuttered, her voice losing its condescending tone. "I guess...that's true."

I refrained from saying more because I didn't feel all that bad about it saying it and because she needed to hear it.

Yagura _was _right about one thing: we didn't need to be coddled in this village. We needed to be as strong as possible to survive and being a little brat was a quick way to get yourself killed in this place.

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"Hey, Shizuka?" Gōzu asked softly as he held up a shirt. "Should I get this one?"

I shrugged and nodded my head before digging in the discount bin and pulling out a pair of pants. "If it's cheap enough."

Yamame huffed slightly as she pulled out a pair of shorts. "This is so _stupid_! I get off the streets, only to have to wear _this_!?" She waved around the article of clothing as if it were infected with some disease. "I should've took my chances out there..." She huffed out.

The slightly chubby boy, Iwana, snorted. "You mean they gave you a choice?"

"Shut _up_!"

Meizu and his roommate, a boy with black hair, snickered and I shook my head at the childish display of Yamame and Iwana arguing about something or other. I couldn't help but feel a bit envious of them. They were ignorant to the realities of the world unlike me, who knew things that about the world that I shouldn't. I hadn't even gotten to be a child in this world.

Granted, I _was_ the one who said that I'd never been a child in the first place but, still...

Watching them laugh and argue like that made my heart clench somewhat. I sighed slightly as I went back to sifting through the bin.

"Shizuka? Are you okay?" Gōzu asked quietly.

I shrugged, an apathetic look marring my features. "As good as I'll ever be, Gōzu."

* * *

We ended stocking up on cheap things like instant ramen and vegetables for food while getting clothes from the discount bin at that respective store. I proposed that we only get the barest essentials for school -like notebooks and pencils- because it wasn't as if we were given a syllabus for supplies. I was appalled that they didn't really care if we even _had_ the right things for class but then, _once again_, I remembered that I was in Kiri and not Konoha.

I _did_ like the voucher idea, though.

Our vouchers were like... They were basically credit cards, I suppose. We got a certain amount of credit for all our expenses and, when we bought our things, the amount was deducted from our voucher. It was convenient enough for us five and six year olds. It also made it a bit harder for me to tally up everything, unfortunately.

Yamame and I had quite a bit left over and I made sure the same could be said for Gōzu and Meizu. They were minor characters, yes, but they were minor _canon_ characters and the last thing I needed was the world imploding in on itself because they died too early due to starvation or something idiotic like that.

And, _no, _it _wasn't_ because I cared about them.

And it also wasn't because I cared about them that I'd allowed them _and_ their roommates to squeeze in my and Yamame's room for dinner.

"Hey, Shizuka! Can I have s'more ramen!?" Meizu asked with a grin as he held up his bowl. "_Pleeeasssee_!?"

"No, dumbass." I deadpanned. "Unless you're willing to replace the scallions, garlic and eggs that I've used then you can't have anymore."

He pursed his lips and he shared a look with his roommate, who I learned was named Kajika, before they began whispering furiously to themselves. As they were busy hashing out the pros and cons, Yamame held out her empty cup and shook it slightly. "Give me some more. _Now_."

I cocked an eyebrow at her audacity and smirked. "No." I stated simply, placing myself next to Gōzu and Iwana. "Get your own food. I want to enjoy my own before going to bed and I _can't _with you all bothering me constantly." I took a slurp of food before adding, "I'm _not_ your mother."

"Aw, pwease, _Mommy_!" Meizu whined playfully, a wolfish grin appearing on his face. "I still 'ungry!"

A similar grin appeared on Kajika's face and my eyebrow twitched as he joined in on Meizu's goading. I sent a pleading glance to Gōzu, who merely continued to eat his food quietly. I glared at the them a bit harder before ignoring them completely in favor of going back to eating my food.

"Will you guys _shut up_!?" Yamame growled out haughtily with crossed arms. "You two are so _annoying_! Gods!"

The two boys abruptly stopped goading me and glared at Yamame's form. Kajika was the first to respond. "Why don't you shut up, _hag_!"

"Yeah! It's your _face_ that's annoying!" Meizu barked out and the two boys high-fived and laughed over Yamame's indignant yelp.

I watched with schooled features as the arguing began to escalate, desperately trying to smother the warmth blossoming in my being at the playful sight because I knew that this reprieve wouldn't last much longer.

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**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews, guys. Seriously. **Thanks**. Because, for some reason, I misunderstood the graduation exams held in Kiri so I really thank you guys for telling me the right thing.

So, this is a brief chapter that basically describes the mentality in Kiri regarding shinobi and rules, etc. I've also taken liberties with how they house orphans and such. I just imagine they'd pair them together in dorms instead of giving each individual kid an apartment like in Konoha -well, in Naruto's case, anyways. I think it'd be somewhat useless (in the Mizikage's eyes) to put kids who'd probably die anyway (at this point in time) in their own living space and give them their own money hence the voucher thing.

Plus, I figured civilians took up most housing anyways.

But this is just me making stuff up on the fly :)

Anyways, Kajika, Yamame and Iwana _are_ in fact canon characters. They're from that OVA, Naruto: The Cross Roads. No, I've never seen it before -I just read about them on the wiki- but I figured it'd be okay to use them since **spoiler: they're missing-nin from Kirigakure employed to Orochimaru**. I just figured they had to start _somewhere_, just like Gōzu and Meizu, who we saw for less than five minutes in the anime :/

So, anyways, thanks for the favs and follows, guys. I appreciate it.


	3. II: Brief Encounter With a Demon

**Disclaimer:** The only things that I own is this story's plot and any OCs that appear throughout the story. The characters of Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I make absolutely no money.

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**Scarlet Waters - Chapter Two - Brief Encounter With A Demon**

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_"My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere, you must run twice as fast as that."_

-Lewis Carroll, _Alice In Wonderland_

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The morning of the first day of school was eerily quiet.

True to my words, after the boys left our room, I threw myself into bed with the intentions of sleeping away the anxiousness that bothered me. I laid in my bed for hours on end, staring up at the ceiling and counting the number of cracks that littered it. Eventually, exhaustion took over and forced my body to get some rest.

I awoke during dawn, before the sun had even touched the horizon. Adrenaline and apprehension towards what the day could bring rushed through my veins, made my heart pound and caused my hands to shake and it was futile to stay in bed when I had to get up anyways. I pulled out a set of clothes -a sweater, some shorts, a pair of thigh stockings and undergarments- before I made a quick cup of ramen for breakfast.

I stared at the snoring girl, Yamame, as I ate, wondering if I should be polite and wake her up. She looked content, with her body twisted in her covers and legs and arms sticking out in different directions. After I finished, I placed my empty cup on top of the small refrigerator (we didn't have a trash can yet), poured some leftover hot water into another cup ramen for Yamame and went to stand over next to her bed.

"Yamame." I muttered, grabbing her ankle and shaking her leg. "Yamame, wake up."

She snorted something illegible and her dark eyes blinked open blearily as she stared almost unseeingly at my form. We stared at each other for a few seconds before the girl yelped, pulled her ankle from my grip and shielded her body with her sheets, peering at me suspiciously with narrowed eyes. "W-what the hell are you doing, Shizuka!?"

My eyes blinked slowly. "Get up. I made you food." I jerked a thumb at the steaming cup on the small table. "I want to get to the showers before the other girls."

The brown-haired girl glared at me but got up nonetheless, mumbling under her breath about '_cold hands_' and '_early morning_'. I merely shook my head at her whining and watched mutely as she went through the similar process of picking out clothes and eating her breakfast. After she was through, we set off towards the showers.

The halls were relatively silent as we quickly walked through them, only the beginnings of chatterings and movements meeting my ears. The apartments weren't equipped with plumbing, which meant that bathrooms and washrooms were public but, thankfully, gender-segregated. Of course I didn't like it but I could easily put up with it. My only qualm was that I had to fetch water to cook with, though, I merely bought a jug of water specifically for that purpose when we were out shopping.

Yesterday, I had skimped out on taking a shower because I was lazy but also because there was a..._reluctance_ I had towards showering with others that I didn't know. Yamame was different -she was my roommate _and _she was my age. I could give a bit of trust to Yamame but the other girls... I wasn't going to take any chances with them.

"_Good_. We're the only ones." I let out a small sigh of relief as we arrived. "Let's hurry before anyone else shows up." I turned, went up to a shower-head and began shrugging off my clothes.

"W-wha_..._" Yamame stuttered, her voice going up an octave. "_What're you doing_!?"

I scoffed irritably, fighting off the warmth flooding into my cheeks. "What are you talking about? I'm _washing_." I quickly turned on the spray, hissing as the cold water hit me. "There's a _reason_ why I wanted to come early -it was because I didn't want anyone else to be here while we do this!"

Yamame's head shook rapidly. "B-but! This is... It's-"

"Either you can bathe with _me_, your roommate who doesn't really care about how you look, or you can do it with the _other_ girls, who will probably make fun of you and mock you." I deadpanned as I tilted my head away from the beating waters. "It's your choice."

She didn't say anything more but I did hear the rustling of clothes and an adjacent shower-head turning on. I was mildly relieved that she didn't ditch me in there alone but the discomfort of showering with another person overshadowed all that.

...

We made sure eye contact was only with the tiled floors.

* * *

I shifted awkwardly in my seat as I took in my surroundings. The Academy's insides weren't too different than Konoha's; the only difference being the lack of a friendly atmosphere and smiling faces.

I was separated from Meizu and Gōzu but I _did_ have Yamame by my side, though, we made it a point not to interact with each other too much. There was no need to attract attention to ourselves because we were acting like immature children. Once you stepped foot into Mist's Academy, you ceased being a child.

You became an adult.

You became a shinobi.

You became a _tool_. Nothing more and nothing less. _Never_ anything less because you'd be a broken tool, then, and _everyone_ knew what happened to a broken tool.

Coincidentally, that was our very first lesson. It was repeated like a mantra until every stray thought in my head was replaced with it. I _hated _it, the emotional and mental conditioning they were forcing on us, but I accepted it because I didn't want to be weak and _die._

_I don't want to die again._ I thought with trembling hands as the teacher went into a spiel of chakra molding. _I don't want to die again...!_

And I wouldn't, either. Not if I had an ounce of power to do so. I would sit in that classroom and absorb_ everything_ that I needed until I was strong enough to break free from that prison that was Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist.

I was _not_ going to be a tool for someone to throw away when they were through with me.

* * *

By the time classes were over, I was completely drained and my brain felt as if it were about to implode.

The curriculum was exceedingly hard for me -for _all_ non-clan children. They treated us as if we had the same backing, the same knowledge as the clan kids did, meaning that information was stated _once_ and demonstrations were minimal. Chakra molding was attempted on the _very first day_, leading to several cases of chakra exhaustion from overzealous kids who hadn't listened to the teacher's warnings.

It was difficult but I'd managed to make my way through the lesson without passing out and landing on my face like Yamame had. I watched with the mix of irritation, exasperation and pity as she was carried out by a medic-nin because she was an _idiot_ who hadn't listened to instructions and she was probably going to be out for a few days because of it, which meant she was going to pester me about notes.

After morning chakra lessons were the beginnings of taijutsu practice in the afternoon. We did drills -running laps around the Academy and student housing compound, push ups, sit ups and squats- before we started learning the beginning kata for the Academy's standard style, 'Water Cutting Fist'. It emphasized swift movements and agility, all major components in Kirigakure's signature Silent Killing and their prowess in kenjutsu.

I rolled my shoulders lightly with a sigh as I made my way back to the Academy's infirmary, intent on eating a cup ramen with Yamame before dragging her back home. Students were only permitted to stay in the school's infirmary for one hour after the last class, meaning they got carted off somewhere if someone didn't pick them up. Yamame didn't have anyone other than me so the responsibility fell to me to take care of her.

_Lovely_, I thought to myself with an eye roll. _Why do I keep allowing myself to be a mother hen to these idiots...?_

"Hey."

My legs slowly stopped as I turned to cast a cautious look around me. As usual, the fog was thick, always making it a chore to actually search through it for things. I let my eyes rove around the distance for a bit longer before pivoting on my heel to continue my journey.

Only to stop.

The kid stood in front of me silently, just staring at me with dark eyes. His hair was messy, his clothes were dingy and his skin was marred with scratches and smudged with dirt.

_An orphan. _My brain immediately rattled off. _But why didn't I see him yesterday at the assembly?_

We stood at a stand-still, looking at each other mutely. There was something about this kid that reminded me of... I blinked owlishly before looking at the steaming cups in my hand and then back to the kid's austere face.

"Something you want?" I asked tonelessly. "I have places to be."

His face contorted into something akin to anger and his teeth bared, giving me a view of sharp, razor-like teeth. My eyes widened slightly but I managed to keep my featured neutral and my body from shaking in fear of this kid who couldn't be anyone other than Zabuza Momochi. In another life, I may have swooned over him but, _now_, with him glaring at me as if I'd done some unspeakable crime towards him, I only wanted to _run_ from him.

But I didn't. Because people like Zabuza were like dogs. They could smell your fear and they jumped on it instantly with teeth sinking into your flesh. I had to get rid of him coolly and without an ounce of hesitation or terror.

I was becoming a _shinobi_. I could face Zabuza if I had to.

"What do you want?" My back straightened and my eyebrow cocked in question.

"You..." His frown slowly pulled into a devious smirk. "Going to your little friend?"

I paused, eyes narrowing at his grinning form. "Does it matter to you who I'm seeing?"

"You know... Friends make you _weak_. Emotions make you _weak_. And _weaklings_ don't have a right to be alive." His grin grew a bit larger as he regarded me with predatory eyes. "Isn't that what Yagura-_sama_ said?" His voice turned mocking, as if picking at the Mizukage would hurt my feelings in some sort of way.

I couldn't stop the incredulous snort that came from my lips but, internally, I regretted it when I saw his grin falter slightly. "Are you trying to scare me?" _Because it's working a little bit. _"What're you trying to gain from me?"

"I just want you to send your friends a little message. I want you to tell them that Zabuza Momochi will be ridding Kiri of _all_ the weaklings that plague it -including _you_, too." He smirked smugly, teeth gleaming threateningly from behind his chapped lips. "I'm going to paint the walls red, just like your hair." His fingers reached out to take a strand of my hair but I managed to take a step away, causing him to laugh somewhat hysterically.

I grimaced slightly but circled around him. "Do what you have to, Zabuza." _I'm not going to die again._ "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, though." _Canon or not, if you come at me, I'll kill you without hesitation._

He stopped laughing abruptly, his face twisting into something indecipherable. "_What_ did you just say?"

"You heard me." I said, moving back from him. "I'm leaving." I continued moving away from him, keeping my eyes locked on his form as I made my way back into the minute safety of the Academy.

The apprehension still laced through my veins even as I passed by a teacher on my way to the infirmary; they wouldn't do anything to help me. They allowed Zabuza to slaughter over a hundred of their students and, instead of helping or punishing him, they _rewarded_ him with the rank of genin.

"_Damn world..._" I muttered as I continued on my path.

* * *

**. Interlude - Zabuza Momochi**

* * *

Zabuza stared after the little girl with unseeing eyes, his teeth gnashing together as her words filtered through his brain. They were spoken lowly, under her breath, as if she didn't realize she'd said them out loud for him to hear.

_...if you come at me... I'll kill you without hesitation..._

He'd targeted her because she stood out with her bright red locks, small stature and bony limbs. He thought she would cower and whimper at his words of promised bloodshed but... She didn't.

Instead, she meant his gaze with nothing more than boredom and brushed him off. As if she were better than him. As if she were _stronger _than him.

But she was wrong.

She was _insignificant_. She was _beneath_ him. She probably couldn't even bend a twig in half, let alone be a proper shinobi and wield a kunai to kill and yet she had the absolute _audacity_ to threaten _him_.

She thought she could _kill _**him**?

_...I'll kill you without hesitation..._

Slowly, his lips curled into a wolfish grin that made his cheeks and lips hurt. That little redhead _bitch_ thought that she could stand up to him? Fine.

Then, he would take pleasure in splattering her blood all over that unmarred skin of hers. He would carve her up so terribly so that no one would be able to recognize her any longer. He would damage her beyond repair because she had the _will_ and _nerve_ to threaten him and disregard him, to look at him with her uninterested green eyes as if he were dirt on her shoe.

And when he was through, he would cut off a lock of her red hair and carry it as a memento of the girl who thought she had the balls to withstand him.

* * *

**.**

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter was pretty easy to write out. I hope Zabuza didn't seem too out of character. I don't really know what was going through his mind as a kid but, in my headcannon, he seems like a person who would obsess over killing those who stood up to him. See how he takes Shizuka's words _way_ out of proportion? But, that's just me lol

Oh, Shizuka-chan~ How you get yourself into trouble lol

In regards to the dumb Academy Graduation, I'm just gonna worry about it when we get there because sources (**Madame Mayhem**) told me that the manga and anime said two different things and because I'm too lazy to read/watch through either one of them, I'm going to wing it :/

Anyways, on to more important stuff, this is just a question... **What kind of abilities would you like to see in Shizuka?** I have my own ideas but I would also like to hear what you all have to say about it. It can be anything within reason like kekkei genkai or weapons or whatever.

Just don't suggest Mokuton or Rinnegan or crap like that. _Just..._

_Don't._


	4. III: On the Edge

**Disclaimer:** The only things that I own is this story's plot and any OCs that appear throughout the story. The characters of Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I make absolutely no money.

* * *

**Scarlet Waters - Chapter Three - On the Edge**

* * *

**.**

* * *

_Alice: How long is forever?_

_White Rabbit: Sometimes, just one second._

-Lewis Carroll, _Alice in Wonderland_

* * *

**.**

* * *

The days and months of my first year in school passed into obscurity and, before I knew it, I was entering my second year and learning how to properly wield a sword.

We were given wooden practice swords and the principles of 'Water Cutting Fist' were applied to our kenjutsu to create a goal of sorts that we all should be able to achieve by the time we reached chūnin—to be able to part water and make it _stay_ parted.

It sounded ludicrous but, in actual practice, it wasn't farfetched at all. Speed was the key as, in order to _part_ water, the basic gist was to be fast enough so it wouldn't have the time to _reform_. One would start with slow cuts, gradually building the swiftness of their movements until they were fast enough that the water stayed parted, allowing them to move unhinged through the waters that was abundant in Water Country and, to a great extent, on land. There were legends regarding the First Mizukage being able to move so quickly that even wielders of the Sharingan had trouble keeping up with him—one of the reasons why it is a standard skill and style in the Academy.

I was vaguely reminded of Haku and his absolutely astounding speed and how Sasuke's newly-awakened Sharingan had been able to keep up with him. It irked me a bit—the way that the Sharingan could just copy and _steal _jutsu with the blink of an eye, trap foes in powerful genjutsu with a stare and make a decade of training absolutely _worthless_.

Major hax, indeed.

...

But, back on topic, 'Water Cutting Fist' was a style meant to quickly overcome opponents, giving them no time to recover and counter—it was a style focusing on preemptive strikes. There were very few kicks and even fewer throws and grapples that the style had; the torso, waist and arms were the most important components for attacking and I surmised that was the reason it went so well with kenjutsu as it trained the muscles in your arms. That isn't to say that leg movements _weren't _important, it was just that their focus was _mobility_, not attacking.

A large bulk of the training required one to be submerged in water. It was meant to build up stamina and train our muscles by pitting us against the water. Another important skill of 'Water Cutting Fist' was eventually being able to determine movement through sensing shifts in the water's flow—another skill we were expected to master by the time we reached chūnin.

It also served as a chakra exercise. The currents of water could be particularly violent on some days and channeling chakra to your feet and sticking to the sands below were important if you didn't want to be washed away because, odds were, no one was going to save you. I wasn't afraid of water in the least, despite my previous unfortunate demise, but I still didn't know how to swim, though, I could _wade_ through water fine enough and there wasn't a reason to go into deeper waters when training. I didn't want to take my chances, though, but the act of sticking to sand was _very_ _hard_—the sands below were always shifting with the water and finding the right footing and flow of chakra was damn near impossible.

I made it a point to stand on a submerged slab of stone or a rock of some kind to make it a bit easier on myself.

Unlike Konohagakure, the water walking exercise was a basic Academy jutsu that wasn't taught after we became genin. Because we lived in _Water Country_, learning how to walk on water was an important skill and was taught during the first year of school. We didn't even learn tree walking; we learned the principles for it during water walking and, if need be, we could easily just stick to a tree after we mastered it. Along with the clone, the body replacement and the transformation jutsu, water walking completed Kirigakure's list of E-ranked jutsu and they _weren't _required for graduation, only for your _survival_ of the graduation.

Corners were not cut in Kirigakure. Whatsoever.

Kirigakure hit you_ hard _and_ fast _like a wave crashing down onto you, sweeping you away until there weren't any remnants of you left to be found.

...

I hated it there.

* * *

Girls were required to attend a kunoichi class that functioned more-or-less as a health class. I guessed even Yagura-Madara-Obito realized the advantages of getting "the talk" out of the way before it was too late. "Too late" being if a kunoichi somehow managed to get pregnant and crippled the military forces with her subsequent absence because no one bothered to tell her of the dangers and intricacies of intercourse.

Surprisingly, many of the STDs that plagued my previous world were absent in the ninja world. I was no where near a genius in medical arts but I figured it was due to the presence of chakra in this world that attributed to it. It wasn't inconceivable to think that especially when many wounds and injuries could be mended simply by injecting your chakra into another's body via the Mystical Palm Technique or any other related jutsu. For all I knew, Tsunade could've already invented a cure for such problems—she wasn't hailed the greatest medic-nin in the world for nothing.

I entertained the thought of dabbling in medical ninjutsu, just in case of an emergency, but found it too much of a hassle to find someone to teach me. Kirigakure's Medical Corps wasn't as established as Konoha's and, because of that fact, they were looking for specific individuals who had impeccable control over their chakra and the discipline and intelligence to retain all the knowledge of the human anatomy.

I was not one of these individuals.

My chakra control was decent enough for me to stick to water-slicked rocks and I could preform the transformation techique without too many problems. When attempting the body replacement, however, I usually ended up expelling too much chakra, blowing the object I was replacing myself with into oblivion. My attempts at clone jutsu were just as pitiful but I liked to think that it would rectify itself as I grew older and continued to practice my control. Maybe. I confronted a teacher about it one day and he surprised me by saying the amount of charka I had was _abnormally large_ for a civilian-born orphan with no prior training.

It didn't take long for me to actually connect the dots. Abnormally large amount of chakra and red hair _usually _meant Uzumaki descent. A powerful life force and strong vitality would be a _gift from the heavens_ in this hellhole but I wouldn't get my hopes up about it. The fact that I even died and was reborn into the Bloody Mist already assured that I didn't have good fortune.

The point of the matter, however, was that I wasn't going to be a medic-nin or a user of any ability that required precise chakra control.

...

_Great_.

That narrowed down my repertoire of abilities phenomenally.

* * *

_...going to paint the walls red... just like your hair..._

He was there again.

_...weaklings don't have a right to be alive..._

Zabuza. I could feel him there. Watching me. _Hunting _me.

I _knew _he was there but I could never get him into my full vision. He always lingered there, in the corner of my eye. It was like an old saying my other mother used to say about demons: _"You'll never find a demon by looking for one; you'll only see them from the corner of your eye."_

I don't know if I was being paranoid about it but the fact that Zabuza had sought me out all those months ago did little to reassure me. I was probably just being self-absorbed, thinking that the world revolved solely around myself—Zabuza Momochi had better things to do than stalk a little girl like me. I was _weak_ compared to him. I was _nothing_ compared to him. There was no reason for him to loom after me.

He'd already given me his warning. What more did he want?

_...going to paint the walls red... just like your hair..._

I self-consciously pulled on a strand of my hair. Would Zabuza still recognize me if I were to dye my hair a different color? I hoped he wouldn't recognize me.

_He's not an idiot_, I deadpanned to myself. _He's a homicidal maniac of a child but he's no idiot._

He was in the corner of my vision again. Following after me like... Like...

Slenderman.

I shuddered slightly. Internet memes weren't meant to exist.

But neither was this world I inhabited.

_...going to paint the walls red..._

Zabuza was there again.

I _really_ needed to get better with my skills.

I'm afraid he'll consume me whole.

* * *

**. Interlude - G****ōzu**

* * *

"Shizuka?"

It took her a while to actually respond. "Yes, Gōzu?"

"Are you all right?"

Another long moment. "Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

...

"Yes, Gōzu."

"...Okay, Shizuka."

He was worried about her.

He'd known Shizuka since they were small children. She wasn't annoying like the other kids and, as much as he loved him, his brother, Meizu. She was the only other kid who appreciated the silence like he had. It was almost like clockwork that the orphanage matrons grouped them together and he hadn't minded so much because she wasn't like the other children.

Shizuka was different.

She...was always looking out for them, for reasons that he couldn't explain. She was mean—mainly to Meizu—and she constantly complained about how she shouldn't baby them but she was always there. He could remember times when she snuck food from the kitchen for them to snack on late at night and he could remember how she'd share her blanket with him sometimes when Meizu hogged it. There was even a time when she'd recently placed a bandage on his forehead from when Meizu accidentally scratched him during a bout of sparring.

He remembered her muttering something about _'no infections'_ and _'throwing off the cosmic balance' _but he didn't question it because Shizuka was weird like that sometimes.

She had her creepy moments but she looked out for them. She was always there for them.

He couldn't help but think he owed her something.

"Shizuka?"

...

"Yes, Gōzu?"

He hesitated. "What's wrong?"

...

"I'm trying to keep the demon in sight."

He paused, thinking she was referring to him, but he realized she wasn't even looking in his direction. As a matter of fact, she wasn't looking at _anything_ in particular. She was just staring straight ahead, seemingly searching through the thick fog that was perpetual in the Mist Village. He glanced around himself cautiously and, after finding that they were the only ones out in front of the housing compound, he placed a light hand on her shoulder.

"Shizuka?"

...

"Yes, Gōzu?"

"Why don't you go inside? _Away_ from the demon?"

"Because I don't want the demon to hurt Yamame." She paused. "Or any of you."

He blinked. "Why would he hurt us?"

"Because I think I might've made him mad."

"Oh."

...

"Shizuka?"

"Yes, Gōzu?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders, forcibly pulling her to her feet and steering her into the building. She fought him briefly but relaxed a moment later and Gōzu was thankful that he didn't have to wrestle with the girl. She _looked_ scrawny and weak but, when she was pushed into what she belived to be a corner, she could get downright _vicious_.

"Let's go inside. Okay, Shizuka?"

She looked up at him with half-lidded green eyes. "Yes, Gōzu."

He breathed out a sigh of relief and, casting one last look over the empty field, the elder twin felt his breath hitching in his throat slightly.

"Did you see him?" Shizuka asked quietly.

...

"No, Shizuka. There's nothing there." He said just as quietly as he led her back into the building.

He wouldn't tell Shizuka.

He wouldn't tell her that he saw _something_ with glowing red eyes out the corner of his eye. She didn't need to worry about it.

...

There were no such things as demons.

...

* * *

**.**

* * *

**A/N:** Yay, chapter three is finished!

Good gosh, you guys left me a _lot_ of ideas and I loved every single one of them and they'll be taken into consideration as the story progresses and Shizuka's abilities are revealed. I thank you for all the great feedback and just _I love you guys so much _XD

I hope the second half of the story isn't too out of place regarding Shizuka's paranoia and Gōzu's interlude. This chapter was basically just detailing the fighting style in Kiri, her griping about the Sharingan, her possible Uzumaki descent and how she probably won't be a medic-nin, her paranoia about Zabuza being a stalker (or maybe he isn't) and Gōzu's view about her. The interludes won't always be there and I guess you could consider them separate from the main story line—they're sorta like "behind the scenes."

...

Slendy-Zabuza.

I can't believe I made that comparison but I think it fits. He became one of the best in the Silent Killing Technique so assuming that he lingers just out of sight isn't too farfetched of an idea. To me, at least.

Yeesh, I kinda freaked myself out writing the last two parts because I am a _huge_ wuss when it comes to that kind of stuff...

I'm gonna go watch the German opening to the Naruto anime. You guys should totally see it if you haven't and, if you have, watch it again because it's hilarious.

I'm serious.

Do it now.

You owe it to yourself.


	5. IV: Want to be Strong

**Disclaimer:** The only things that I own is this story's plot and any OCs that appear throughout the story. The characters of Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I make absolutely no money.

* * *

**Scarlet Waters - Chapter Four - Want to be Strong**

* * *

**.**

* * *

_"It is better to be feared than loved."_

-Lewis Carroll, _Alice in Wonderland_

* * *

**.**

* * *

"Oh, come _on_, Shizuka! How is that you _suck _at the simplest jutsu?"

I frowned rather deeply at Yamame's words but stayed silent in favoring of trying the jutsu once more. Forming the proper hand seal, I tried building up the proper amount of chakra for the clone jutsu. I scoffed once I realized I'd built up too much chakra for it and, without even caring, I released the jutsu, letting my attention go to the cloud of smoke that appeared next to me.

"For kami's _sake_!" By Yamame's irritated outburst, I already knew that the attempt was a failure, just as the last ten times had been.

I glared down at the shameful mass of a poorly constructed image and gave it a swift kick. My leg passed through it as it was intangible but it dispersed in another puff of smoke shortly after. "Forget it. The clone jutsu is useless, anyways."

Yamame laughed loudly as she cast the same jutsu, poofing up a perfect copy of herself that was also laughing at my expense. I managed to smother the flush of embarrassment and, instead, aimed a slap at the laughing girl's forehead to make myself feel better.

_'Smack!'_

"_Ow_!" The brown-haired girl whined as she rubbed her forehead. "What was _that_ for!?"

"Because you're annoying." I muttered as I watched her clone disappear. "Let's try something else."

Yamame snorted somewhat smugly. "You're just mad that _I_ can do something that _you_ can't. HA!"

I resisted the urge to hit her again because, _damn it_, she was _right_. I was jealous because Yamame—_Yamame_, who nagged me about cooking her food, brushing her hair and cleaning her back—could do something that _I_ couldn't. It wasn't just any old thing, either, it was an E-ranked jutsu that everyone in class could do _except_ for me!

I was a mature individual but I wasn't above petty jealousy, it seemed.

But, on another note, the standard clone jutsu _was_ pretty useless, in my opinion. I can think of only one instance of its usage and that's during Sakura Haruno's battle against Ino Yamanaka during the Chūnin Exams. It served its purpose as a feint tactic but it was never shown again. Instead, the upgraded version of it, the Shadow Clone Jutsu, was spammed by epic proportions thanks to _everyone's_ favorite hero, Naruto Uzumaki and numerous other characters.

Granted, Kirigakure's version of it was the Water Clone, which could be considered a bit weaker than the Shadow Clone because, instead of each clone getting an equal amount of chakra from the user's overall power, the Water Clone gives each doppelganger only one-tenth of the original person's power. To be honest, any version of a clone jutsu that _isn't _the Shadow Clone is pretty limited. Using the Water Clone again as an example, another limitation of it is that the clone becomes unstable once a certain distance from the original. Then, there's the glaring problem with most water ninjutsu in that if you're in an area with no water, you'd have to use your own chakra to create water outside of the body to utilize.

...

It's no wonder Kirigakure promotes and teaches kenjutsu. Given the difficulties a water-user would have in enemy territory using water ninjutsu, they'd most likely get their asses handed to them while trying to conjure up an attack. Unless, of course, you're Tobirama Senju and have the mad skills to actually pull numerous water ninjutsu out of air despite being from _Fire _Country. That isn't to say that it _can't _happen—as it obviously did—but I would've liked it if a Hokage from _Fire _Country could conjure up...you know..._fire_.

But, I digress.

Anyways, after a few months, I'd gradually gotten better in controlling the replacement jutsu and could actually trade places with an object without utterly destroying it. I chalked that up to the fact that the replacement jutsu was actually _useful_ in a pinch unlike the standard clone jutsu, which I absolutely detested with a passion, and, therefore, I put more effort into actually learning it. Progress was something that I happily ate up because I would need all the skills and advantages I could get when it came to Zabuza.

Speaking of him, he hadn't been creeping after me for the past few weeks. Most likely, it was due to him preparing for his infamous slaughter. I took slight solace in the fact that Gōzu and Meizu were in a higher year than me but in a lower year so as they weren't graduating yet. Unfortunately, with Zabuza's "interest" in me and the fact that Yamame shared a class with me, the reprieve I had vanished because I just _knew_ Zabuza was going to seek me out to _kill_ me and there was the high possibility that the brown-haired girl would get in the way...

"_Shizuka_! You're spacing out _again_!" Yamame's voice broke me out of my thoughts. "C'mon, I wanna practice that jutsu Sensei showed us today! I helped you so it's only fair you help me!"

I blinked slowly as I took in the girl's impatient figure. If I remembered correctly, Sensei had demonstrated the Hiding in Water Technique in class. It was a supplementary technique that allowed the user to blend in with water and go about undetected by the enemy. It was also the jutsu that the Demon Brothers had somehow managed to mess up in their debut to the series. _How_ they managed to lay that trap without planning is completely unknown to me but, if everything plays out like in the series and I'm alive for that long, I'm seriously going to _kick their asses _if they make that same rookie mistake and get beat by a damn genin.

"_Shizuka_!"

I sighed softly as I began forming the necessary seaal for the jutsu. "Shut up, Yamame."

Her cheeks puffed up in indignation before her lips curved into a sly grin. "Heehee... Don't get mad if I get this down in one try, _Shizuka_."

I felt my eyebrow twitch but I remained silent, my thoughts instead drifting back to the missing soon-to-be Demon of the Mist.

Zabuza would no doubt come at me with the one-track purpose of killing me. How did I know that? Because I'm not an idiot and, at this point in time, Zabuza was like Gaara before Naruto Talk-no-Jutsu'd him—they found both pleasure and a reason to live through killing others, especially those who managed to catch their attentions in some way.

Fortunately, Zabuza wasn't a jinchūriki. _Unfortunately_, when compared to me, he was just as deadly as one at this point in time and, somehow, I'd managed to make myself a target for him.

_Good going, Shizuka. _I thought bitterly as I began to build-up the necessary amount of chakra for the jutsu. _Way to make things easier for yourself._

...

But, he was mistaken if he thought I was going to sit around and let him kill me without a fight.

_...I'll kill you without hesitation..._

...

* * *

Sometimes, it was hard for me to sleep at night.

I couldn't quite pin down the reason. Could it be that I was still subconsciously coping with the fact that I'd been dragged into something that used to be nothing more than fiction? Was it because I'd been drafted into being a child-soldier? Or was it because some psycho child stalked me so much that it had become a common occurrence for me? Was it because now that he'd stopped following me, instead of being relieved about it, I felt even more on edge?

Maybe, I was just an insomniac.

Maybe, I was just a girl who didn't know her place in the world.

Maybe, everything in my life was spiraling out of control.

Why was it that I was even reborn in the first place? Was there something I was supposed to do? Some divine prophecy I was supposed to fulfill? _What_?

_Oh, look._ I noted inwardly. _A spider web. Yamame will have a fit when she sees it._

It was in the corner of the room, right up above my bed actually. I stared at it for a long time, my eyes slowly blinking as I watched a tiny insect get itself tangled into the sticky webs. It was struggling violently but, ultimately, futilely. It wouldn't escape the web spun by its predator.

_Just like me._ I thought bitterly and my teeth grit as anger built up in my being. _Helpless. Weak. Caught up in something that can't be escaped._

Yes, I was like a helpless little insect stuck in a web full of death, sorrow and despair.

But...

I didn't want to be_ weak_. I didn't want to be _helpless_. I didn't want to be _expendable_. I didn't want to be the bug stuck in a web, waiting to be devoured whole. No, I...I wanted to be the one with the power.

I wanted to be the predator for a change.

...

Was it bad that I felt that way?

...

Probably.

But I found myself caring a little less everyday.

* * *

Once I turned seven, I knew I had to step up my game if I wanted to survive the things headed my way. Mainly, if I wanted to survive Zabuza and the things that were supposed to happen in Kirigakure—the Kaguya clan's attack on Kiri and the following bloodline purges that the Mizukage ordered in response to it.

There was a brief time when I wished I was in possession of a bloodline; I would've had a sort of cheat ability to spam during battles and I wouldn't have to puzzle my brain over the best way for me to dispatch of an enemy. However, after I remembered Kiri's feelings towards kekkei genkai, I was thankful that no special bloodline abilities had surfaced on my person whatsoever (that I knew, of course). Unfortunately, that left me with the question of how exactly did I want to develop as a shinobi.

There were many possibilities such as possibly joining the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. They were the best of the best and most children—mainly the clan kids—wanted to be members of that esteemed group of individuals. I liked the idea of being a member but, in order to even be _considered,_ one had to survive the graduation exams and display an amazing amount of talent to be noticed. I wasn't sure how members were inducted after the Bloody Mist's bloody ritual was stopped but I doubted it would be anything remotely pleasant.

Next was the possibility of becoming a hunter-nin but that required my joining of Kirigakure's Anbu forces. The abilities I could possibly learn while in such a group was appealing, however, having to deal with missing-nin on a constant basis wasn't something that I actually wanted to do.

The avenues I could take seemed to lessen more and more the longer I thought about it. It seemed like every shinobi from Kiri was either a part of the Mist Swordsmen or a wielder of kekkei genkai. Then, there was Meizu and Gōzu, who had managed to make a name for themselves without those means. Not only did they have the unique weapons but they also had each other and the deadly combinations they could preform together.

...

I didn't really _have_ anyone. No family that I knew of. I had friends in the twins and Yamame but I knew that if they had to choose, they'd choose themselves. I couldn't be angry at them for that because, if it came to such a situation, I would most definitely be making the same choice without a question. That didn't stop it from stinging, however.

What did I want? To be unique? Maybe. I wanted something that I could call my own in this world where I had nothing, where I was a _nobody_. I wanted _something_. I _needed_ something to be mine.

...

But, in order for me to have something, I needed to survive long enough to get it and, despite my loathing of Kirigakure under its current leadership, they provided the means to survive, if one knew how to use them. Just look at Zabuza—he started as some psycho gutter-rat kid who hadn't even gone to the Academy and he rose to become one of the most feared shinobi from Kiri.

I had an advantage over him and I'd be_ damned _if I let him take what I could just as easily have. It was with that thought that I began to throw myself into the training and the studies the Academy had to offer. Instead of Zabuza becoming a mountain whose shadow I was terrified of and lingered in, he transformed into something that I needed to get to over—to _surpass_—if I wanted to have something as my own in this dreary world.

If I could get past Zabuza, then things would be so much easier for me.

* * *

"What kind of blades do you have to offer, sir?"

"Exactly how _old_ are you, little girl?"

My eyes narrowed. "I just turned seven a couple months ago." I pulled out my slightly worn voucher. "Here, I'm an Academy student. I need a sword or _something _if I don't want to die."

The man grimaced at my blunt words as he snatched the slip of paper at me, his eyes narrowing as he formed a hand seal of some sort. The paper straightened out and lit faintly before he placed it back into my awaiting hand.

That was the thing about our vouchers—we weren't able to use them at civilian-owned establishments because they had Yagura's chakra imprinted on them for validity. Any civilian shopkeepers were required _by law _to turn away anyone using these vouchers so, even if you made your own, odds were that you wouldn't get anything because a civilian shopkeeper would turn you away as soon as you flashed it and a shinobi shopkeeper would detect no imprint on it and turn you in.

It made me wonder where Zabuza got his weapon from since you needed a voucher to even get a weapon. He probably just stole one from someone...

He waved a dismissive hand at me. "Browse my wares and bring me something you like. Then we'll see what we can do, kid."

I nodded shortly before turning my attentions to the various sharp tools that man had on display. It wasn't like I could get anything custom at this point in time but having a simple blade on hand wasn't a bad idea. There were the standard tools—shuriken, senbon, wire, etc.—but those were used more for long-ranged battles and laying traps. My accuracy was decent enough during practice; I could hit 7/10 targets with shuriken and kunai while I could hit 83/100 with senbon.

All of that was fine but I wanted something for close-range fighting and self-defense. The kunai in Kirigakure were good for close combat due to the prong on one side, making it suitable for stabbing and thrusting. The reach for it was pitiful due to it being a kunai and, combined with my small stature, it wouldn't help stave off attacks as effectively as other blades.

Before even entering this store, I researched as much as I could about what type of blade to get. As they say, "_It's the blade that makes the ninja._" or...something like that, I guess.

Personally, I found myself favoring the uchigatana. It could be used as a one-handed sword due to its thin and short build—much like myself—and could be carried more conveniently than some of the other blades that were offered. With a free hand, I could do other things to dispatch of my opponent like stabbing them in the eye or throat or putting an explosive tag on their face or-

"Kid, do you want this?" The shopkeeper pointed towards the sword my eyes had been lingering on.

I blinked out of my stupor. "Can I?" My cheeks flushed slightly as I rephrased my words due to the man's pursed lips. "I'd like to have this one, please."

The man grumbled something under his breath about _'too little to be playing with swords' _before responding. "You want this one or something a bit more custom?"

"Can I _afford _something custom?" I asked sarcastically.

"No." He said simply.

"Well, then, just give me this one." I frowned at at the man as I gestured towards a pre-made uchigatana. "I have places to be." _People to avoid getting killed by._

The main grumbled under his breath once more before he grabbed up the blade, sheathed it and handed it to my eager hands. "Be careful with that thing, kid. You might want to find a mentor before you start using that blade."

I hummed in affirmation as I examined my new item. It was almost as tall as me; I was about 109 cm and the sword was about 65 cm long—it was perfect for me. The sheath didn't have any intricate designs nor did the hilt but I wasn't too worried about that now; I was too excited about having my own sword.

_She's perfect._ I felt my lips tug up at the corners as I looked back up at shopkeeper. He stared back at me with a perturbed look on his face at my grin.

"Thank you very much, sir. I'll make sure to give her a good home." I rubbed the sword's sheath lovingly as my lips curled even higher. "I wonder if I should name her...?"

* * *

Looked like that spider was back to her web.

I watched with morbid curiosity as she slowly maneuvered onto her web. She wasn't making any sudden moves, not even flinching as her prey struggled in its sticky cocoon. I blinked before my lips pulled into a slight smirk.

"I see your game, Spider-chan." I chuckled lightly. "Like to see your food struggle first for a good laugh?"

Of course, the spider didn't respond to my words but it did shift a bit before going back to its task of watching the squirming insect.

I couldn't help but..._admire_ that spider. She had power but it wasn't because she had overpowered her opponent. No, it was because her opponent was stupid and had fallen prey to her trap. Now, because of its idiocy, she got to have an entertaining show _and_ a tasty meal. I smiled at the creature as I placed my newly-aquired weapon down and plopped myself down on my bed.

"Yeah, Spider-chan... That does sound pretty good." I snorted lightly as I fell back and folded my arms behind my head.

The spider shifted once more.

* * *

**.**

* * *

**A/N: **Shizuka's kinda wierd now lol That's what happens when you breath in the mist in Kirigakure—you get weird thoughts in your head. So, now, Shizuka isn't afraid of Zabuza any longer and views him more as a block in the road. The Graduation Showdown will probably be the next chapter. Maybe. No interlude this time but probably next time :) On a side note, there's two versions of how the clone shows up during the clone jutsu (I think). When Naruto used it at the very beginning, (I think) it showed up in a puff of smoke. When Sakura used it, they sorta phased into existense and then flickered away :( So...yeah.

To a certain reviewer, **Yinko**, I thank you for the ideas but, I have to say that I disagree with you on the too-much-chakra-doesn't-equal-poor-control thing. I mean no offense and I respect your views but here's my reason:

Now, I agree that there's people like Madara and Hashirama who can pull all kinds of crazy shizz with the genjutsu and the medical ninjutsu and they most definitely have insane chakra levels when they're _adults_. We don't really know much about their abilities during their childhood but I'm assuming that, at one point, they did indeed have trouble with those things they eventually became great at—no one is perfect at something on the first try (unless you're Itachi, of course).

If I recall correctly, chakra reserves grow until your a certain age then they stop, and, thereafter, they gradually build up the more one uses chakra and, the larger your reserves, the more trouble you have with control.

Now, let's say we have an Uzumaki character. At birth, her charka reserves are already larger than that of an average child and, as she grows her reserves will steadily get bigger. Think of it as an excess of chakra—because her body has _so_ much chakra, the body will automatically try and get rid of the excess of it by pumping too much into jutsu. Over time, as the reserves grow larger, her body will be able to accommodate all the chakra in it, making chakra control easier. That's my theory, though, so that might be _completely _incorrect.

People, give me your thoughts and theories on that lol

But, anyways, take Team 7, for example.

Naruto had the largest reserves in the team but he had the worst control. IIRC, he expelled too much chakra when using jutsu but, because he had so much left over, it didn't really matter in the end.

Next was Sasuke who was in the middle with his reserve size; larger than Sakura's, smaller than Naruto's. His chakra control was decent—better than Naruto's but poorer than Sakura's.

Lastly, we have Sakura who had the smallest reserves but had the greatest control out of the three of them. Because her chakra reserves were so small, it was almost like a necessity that her control was better than the boy's so she wouldn't waste any and throw herself into exhaustion. That's also the reason why Sakura is so great at medical ninjutsu and why she had an affinity with genjutsu (well, in the video game universe she did).

Plus, I think that some individuals just can't do medical ninjutsu. Remember Tenten? Now, I don't know the whole story about her but she tried medical ninjutsu when she was younger and she just couldn't get it. I think that's when she figured out her talent in bukijutsu. I'm not sure _why_ she couldn't but...*_shrugs_* She just couldn't.

...But that's just my explanation. Besides, Shizuka only really sucks with clone jutsu. She gets better with the replacement jutsu as seen in this chapter but she sucks balls at the clone jutsu. She hates it, I hate it. That jutsu sucks, in my opinion.

My favorite jutsu would have to be the Fourth Raikage's _Liger Bomb_. That is the most EPIC move ever and I laughed so hard when he used it on Sasuke. Then, I got pissed when Sasuke pulled Susanoo out his butthole to soften the blow. That was after I realized that Sasuke sucked and he was always getting his ass saved by someone even though he should've died. But, yeah, wrestling moves used by ninja FTW XD

Tell me your favorite jutsu while you drop me a review, please. Ah! And also tell me your theories concerning the above XD I love to hear what you all have to say. See you all next time!


	6. V: Demon Waltz

**Disclaimer:** The only things that I own is this story's plot and any OCs that appear throughout the story. The characters of Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I make absolutely no money.

* * *

**Scarlet Waters - Chapter Five - Demon Waltz**

* * *

**.**

* * *

_"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice replied._

_"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."_

_"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice._

_"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."_

-Lewis Carroll, _Alice in Wonderland_

* * *

**.**

* * *

It was both a blessing and a curse to be imbued with a matured mind in this world—I was both aware of the circumstances, allowing me a chance to prepare for them, but, at the same time, I was burdened by the knowledge of them and the constant pressure that weighted me down. There was even the looming possibility that things wouldn't play out how I remembered, leaving me completely in the dark and eliminating any comfort I gained from my limited foreknowledge. In exchange for another chance at life, I'd been forced to give up the blissful innocence and ignorance that could've shrouded me from all this world's ugly facets.

I had been reborn but I had never been a child.

I envied Yamame. She was like me, just a young girl forced to become a soldier, and yet, she _wasn't _like me. She hadn't lived a full life yet. She hadn't died before. She was still innocent. Even Gōzu, whose dark eyes held an amount of wisdom uncanny for a child his age, and Meizu, who gained a little too much joy from bashing another student's head in—they were still _children_ at the end of the day.

But me... I was an in-between. The body of a small girl but the mind of an adult woman. I didn't fit, didn't belong anywhere. I was an anomaly in a world where walking on water, summoning talking creatures and controlling the elements were considered the norm. But _I_ was the one that didn't fit.

How _cruel_ the deities were to me.

And they would only get _crueler_.

I hissed lowly as I cut my hand once again due to negligence on my part. Training with a proper blade was nothing like smacking someone with a wooden sword. The chances of slicing open your own hand was high with a real sword and hand injuries were particularly troublesome when attempting to hone one's skills. There was also the fact that I basically had no guidance from a more experienced individual to correct my stance or, at the very least, a partner to bounce suggestions off.

_Maybe I should've heeded that shopkeeper's warning. _I lamented inwardly as I ran my uninjured hand through my hair. _This isn't good enough._

My skills were..._meh_ at this point. I could take quite a few hits, surprisingly, and my speed was pretty average compared to my classmates. My jutsu repertoire was small but _slowly_ getting broader as time went on. I could accomplish the replacement jutsu, the transformation jutsu, my proficiency with the Hiding in Water technique was growing and I liked to pretend the standard clone jutsu didn't exist.

My taijutsu and kenjutsu was decent enough for me to win spars but only against non-Hōzuki kids. Their Hydrification technique basically made them invulnerable to physical attacks and, seeing as how I was without a lightning jutsu to fry them, I found myself soundly beaten whenever I was matched up with one. Beating the other clan kids, however, was simply a matter of tiring them out and waiting for their guard to slip.

My genjutsu was also a bit _meh_, as to be expected as I was still an academy student. Though, the school standards in Kirigakure were much _higher_ than in Konoha, which was generally the place where most people based the comparison of their abilities on, so my assumptions on my skill level could be a bit higher than that. Maybe. I didn't want to overestimate my abilities and develop illusions of grandeur. Still, that didn't mean that I should neglect any advantages that I could take. Because of that, I tended to spend plenty of time in the village's library.

I liked it there. It was quiet. It was calm. It was _bare_ of any miscellaneous books that weren't focused on shinobi arts, meaning my attention wouldn't stray. There were many educational scrolls and books there—most were texts about strategics, techniques, fighting styles and there were the few historical texts that I honestly didn't care much about. Most of the jutsu I'd read about were too complicated for me or required more chakra than I had to pump out but there was _one_ I was willing to attempt during sparring...

Kiri wasn't as strict with clearance as they were in the Leaf. On one occasion, I was able to find a scroll detailing how to perform the Water Dragon jutsu and that move was easily an upper-chūnin, jōnin technique. But, there it was, set out plainly for some unsuspecting academy student to get their hands on and attempt, only to get wiped out from the resulting loss of chakra.

_Then, they'd be a complete idiot._ I snorted as I sheathed my sword and glared down at my hand in irritation. You're_ an idiot, Shizuka. You know there's sparring in class tomorrow._

And then, there's the graduation exams after that. I planned on attending the tournament after school, just to see what it was like, but, _of course_, I remembered our local psycho who'd been missing for some time. He'd most likely be there bright and early with a fresh batch of _death_ waiting for me. I glared even harder at my bleeding hand, letting it feel some of my anger and _desperation_.

"Looks like time's up, Shizuka." I grumbled. "Time to face the music."

"Shizuka?"

I turned at the familiar voice of Gōzu. He stood there silently, watching me with an unreadable expression and clutching a roll of bandages in his hands. My head tilted to the side slightly. "What is it, Gōzu?"

He nodded his head towards my hand. "You're injured." He held up the bandages. "Let me help you."

"I can do it myself." I said flatly.

His face fell slightly and my heart twinged with minute regret. It wasn't that I didn't want his help; it was that I didn't _need_ his help—he and Meizu and Yamame were the ones that needed _me_, not the other way around. I wasn't a child and I could take care of myself but they couldn't do _anything_ for themselves. Quickly, I swiped the medical item from his hands and proceeded to wrap my hand up, ignoring the soft sound of displeasure from the physically older boy.

"That's wrong, Shizuka." Gōzu's hands hovered over mine and my eyes narrowed at his words. "With the way you're doing it, it'll fall off as soon as you flex your hand."

My glare intensified as he roughly took my hand in his own and corrected my sloppy work. When the hell did Gōzu become such a damn medical specialist? First, Yamame could do the clone jutsu better than me, now Gōzu could wrap bandages better? I couldn't stop my teeth from gritting and my hand from clenching around my sword nor could I stop the anger and the _helplessness_ that pooled into my stomach.

"There." His lips pulled up into a placid smile as he looked at his handiwork. "Now, you can finish..." His smile lessened at the expression on my face. "What did I do?"

And, then, I sighed as all the anger drained away at his kicked-puppy look. "Nothing, Gōzu." He still looked unsure. "I'm not mad at you. I just... I could've done it myself, that's all."

"Why are you like that all the time?" He questioned, making my eyebrow quirk. "You never want any help but you always go out of your way to help us."

"Because you guys are idiots that need me." I dead-panned. _All of you are children and you need me to take care of you._

"But you don't need any help?" He countered. "Even though you can't wrap bandages or reach certain shelves at the stores or scratch your own back or-"

"No." I stated simply, cutting him off. I could feel my cheeks flush a bit at his words. "I don't."

He watched me for another long moment, almost unblinkingly. I _wanted_ to fidget but I was better than that so I settled for meeting his gaze. He blinked. I blinked. He sighed. I ran a hand through my hair once again and averted my head into the distance. Gōzu was supposed to be the smart one and, yet, it was _always_ him trying to be nice and help out. Why couldn't he be a selfish little brat like Yamame and Meizu or, at the very least, serenely sit back and let me take care of things? It wasn't that difficult.

"Okay, Shizuka." He relented finally. "But...I just think you should let me help sometimes... That's all."

_Why do you make things hard, Gōzu?_ But I couldn't stop the tiny smile that appeared on my face. _I guess that's why you're my favorite, though. _"C'mon, I feel like eating now. Maybe..some barbecue chips? You want some?"

He nodded at me with an equally small smile on his face. "Yeah... I'd like some, Shizuka."

...

_Just let me take care of things, Gōzu... _

_..._

_Just let me take control...and all will be well..._

* * *

"Ack! _Shizuka_! What'd you do to me!? I can't _move_!"

"Shut up, Meizu. I'm trying a new jutsu."

"Why on _me_, though!?"

"Because you were trying to steal my chips, you dolt."

"Gōzu! Help me!"

The chip bag opened with a soft 'pop' and it crinkled as the child dipped a hand in. Crunch. "Sorry, Meizu."

"_But I want some!_"

Crunch. "You didn't ask for any. Now, you get to watch while we eat them." A smirk. "I hope you enjoy this, Meizu."

"...I hate you, Shizuka."

Another crunch and a larger smirk. "I know."

* * *

"...Shizuka." The instructor's voice called. "Step into the sparring circle."

My hands tightened around the hilt of my bokken as I eyed my opponent.

A boy. A member of the Hōzuki clan, if I were to go by the white hair, violet eyes and cocky, sharp-toothed grin. He was more skilled than me in all areas—ninjutsu, taijutsu and kenjutsu—and he would most likely kick my ass during this spar because he was just _better _than me. He was also invulnerable to physical attacks, meaning I wouldn't even be able to land a hit on him.

It was painful, that. Looking your opponent in the face and _knowing_ you were going into a one-sided battle and _you_ were the one about to get your pride shattered and body bruised.

"_Begin!_"

He moved first, his lithe frame speeding towards me with sword raised over his head. I stood my ground, planting my feet firmly and bringing my weapon up as I stared him down. I had a _slight_ chance of winning if I was able to pull of that one jutsu I'd read about. Attempts on Meizu proved to be successful, however, he was in a fixed position, allowing me to perform the hand sign for it with no problems.

_'Twack!'_

Our bokken smashed together with a wooden 'clang' and we stared each other down as we pushed our sticks together, fighting each other for dominance. He was bigger and stronger, though, and, after a few seconds, the Hōzuki kid had pressed me back roughly, breaking my guard. I let out a sharp yelp as I lost my balance, teetering back on my heel before I grunted at the heavy hits he gave my shoulder and side. I landed on my butt with a hand up and clutching at the injured shoulder.

"C'mon~" He goaded with a smirk as he circled me. "You can do better than _that_, can't cha?"

I hissed but pushed myself to my feet, shaking off my daze and charging towards him with a cry. I brought my sword down in an arc and watched as it passed through him when his body liquefied. His grin became devilish as he swatted me away with his arm and aimed a hit at my abdomen that had me doubled over and gasping. Another hit had me on the ground and skidding away from him. It was painful but I needed some distance on him and I was too slow to actually outrun him.

"This is _boring_!" He moaned in exasperation. "Why don't you do something that's _not_ predictable?"

_I'll show you "predictable." _My lips twitched slightly as I pulled my hands together to form the ram seal. _Please let this work._

"What're you- Are you trying to use a _jutsu_ on me?" He sounded on the verge of laughing which made my eyebrows tug down. "_Yeah_. No. Not gonna happen."

He started towards me with his bokken raised, his lips pulled back and displaying his rows of sharp teeth. My eyes spotted a random rock and I quickly performed the hand seals for a replacement jutsu, watching with wide eyes as the Hōzuki boy loomed over me and brought his sword down on my head...

Only for "me" to go up in a puff of smoke and, in my place, there was that rock I'd spotted. A few feet away from my opponent, I rubbed my head as I still caught the end of his blow—there were consequences for not timing the jutsu properly. I quickly shook off the dizziness, once again forming the ram seal and channeling my chakra on my bewildered opponent.

"What the- _Hey_! Just 'cause you got off a replacement doesn't mean _anything_!" He taunted as he recovered from him shock and quickly pivoted on his heel towards me. "Let's get this fight over with; it isn't as if you'll win!"

I didn't respond, instead continuing to focus on my technique as he rushed straight towards with his sword raised over his head. It didn't take as long with Meizu, as previously stated, and that was partially because he wasn't moving as much. This boy was moving quite rapidly, meaning I had to focus in plenty of chakra for this jutsu to actually work.

"_Now_!" He arrived over me, his teeth glinting and his eyes wide with joy—he reminded me too much of a _demon_...! As he brought his sword down, I managed to release one last pulse of chakra as I clenched my eyes shut, waiting to be plunged into the darkness of unconsciousness with his final hit.

...

But... It never came. I opened one eye cautiously, taking in the frozen form of my opponent. His teeth were gritted and his eyes were narrowed as he glared viciously at me.

_It worked!_ I couldn't stop the grin that set itself on my face as I scrambled to my feet and snatched the bokken from his hands, making his face grow livid.

"Damn it!" I could see him struggling—rather futilely might I add—but, with as much energy that I pumped into that jutsu, he won't be getting loose anytime soon. "Can't believe- _Damn it_!"

"Hmm," The instructor hummed lightly as he walked between us. "...I would prolong this battle until Hiramatsu recovers but we don't have the time. Besides, you put a lot of chakra into that so he's not going anywhere." Cue my smug smirk and Hiramatsu's growl. "Looks like you're the winner, girl. Fall back in line while I move the sharp-toothed brat."

I nodded eagerly as I made my way back the sidelines, standing next to Yamame who regarded me with a deep pout. She gave me a look that translated into "_You're gonna teach me that later_" and proceeded to cross her arms and look away in a huff. The stupid smile on my face couldn't be fought, even as Hiramatsu sent death glares my way.

The Temporary Paralysis jutsu, a D-rank jutsu that I'd managed to uncover in the library. It was relatively easy to perform and required only one hand seal. There was also the plus of it being more potent the more chakra was fed into it. I had plenty of chakra to give, meaning mine was strong enough to pin down at least a genin-ranked kid—Hiramatsu was easily that. Maybe. Hopefully, as my control developed, I'd be able to utilize it without forming a seal.

_About time I'm able to do something productive._ I thought in satisfaction. _Now, if I could just make it past today..._

* * *

"Are you coming, Shizuka?" Yamame asked with crossed arms. "I wanna learn that jutsu you used on Hiramatsu." She grinned in conceit. "I just _loved_ that look on his face when Sensei made you winner."

"Just go on ahead, Yamame. I'll be there in a minute." I smiled slightly at her pout. "Just _go_. I promise to make you something special if you do."

"You _will_?" Her face lit up in childish glee as I nodded. "Okay, okay! I'm going!" She pointed a stern finger at me. "Don't forget! You promised, okay?"

Yamame left then, leaving me alone in the classroom. Good. I didn't want her anywhere near here when the shit hit the fan. Better to go at this alone. I pulled my darling uchigatana from beside my seat and hopped up onto the desks with such calm that I bewildered even myself. My hands weren't even shaking as I thought they would be. Was this the calm before the storm?

"Must be the rush from earlier still wearing off..." I whispered to myself as my legs swung back and forth. "Thanks for that Hiramatsu..."

Hiramatsu Hōzuki wasn't the top student in our class but he wasn't the dead last, either. He looked like a typical member of the Hōzuki clan and had the typical characteristics of one. While I'm sure not _all_ of them are cocky jerks, they tended to have that overconfidence due to the fact that they were invulnerable to physical attacks. He was kind of a bully to some, mostly us clanless kids, and it was usually just verbal abuse but, most of the time, he saved the physical beatings for spars where he typically trounced us thanks to his superior skills.

The only reason I even won against him was because I'd managed to do that jutsu at the last minute—that was some prime ass-pulling on my part, to be perfectly blunt. If not for that, I would've been in the infirmary...or _dead_, you know. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the glaring weakness to electricity and, to a certain extent, fire, I would categorize it as the hiden version of the Sharingan due to its hax-like apperance. It seemed like a good ability to learn if the Hōzuki weren't so keen on keeping clan secrets, well..._secret_. There was also the fact that one had to consume large quantities of water to keep hydrated and it all seemed rather troublesome to me in the end of things.

To each his own, though.

I sat there in the quiet class for what felt like an eternity, though, it'd only been about ten minutes. If I had eavesdropped correctly, the graduating students were kept after school hours for a while and then they were taken to the coliseum for the exams. Hopefully, my hunch wasn't _completely wrong_ and Zabuza actually showed up _today_ instead of tomorrow.

Why would that be a bad thing? Because I wanted to just get this out of the way with as few casualties—Yamame, Meizu and Gōzu—as possible. As long as it wasn't them, I couldn't find it in me to quite care about the others. They were going to die in the tournament regardless of how I felt about it. But, those other three... I needed them to be safe.

I breathed out a heavy sigh.

...

And my back immediately stiffened after as a wave of _malicious _chakra sliced through the air.

It was time. _He was here_.

The screams of anguish started seconds later and I had to grit my teeth to keep from dropping to the floor and curling into a ball. I wouldn't, though, I _couldn't_. I absolutely _refused_ to give Zabuza Momochi the satisfaction of killing me off, of seeing me so _vulnerable_.** Never**. I pressed a hand to my chest to calm my beating heart and, strengthening my resolve, I made my way to the classroom door.

Even before I opened the door, the smell of blood was heavily permeated through the air. I swallowed down the bile that rose with a heavy grimace and I pressed my sleeve against my nose as I slowly jogged down the corridors, looking for...an adult? As if they would actually help; knowing Kirigakure, the teachers and staff were probably somewhere where they could keep watch while some kid slaughtered a bulk of _graduating _kids. How the hell was Zabuza even able to take on a bunch of technically genin-leveled students!?

_He's crazy! What more do you need to know!?_ I berated myself for stupid question.

The screams were continuous and, yet, it seemed as if I were nowhere near them. I hesitated briefly before I caught sight of a body. A..._headless_, _child's_ body. The vomit in my throat came back full-force.

_I can't..._ _N...No..._

I ended up spilling all my breakfast over the floor in front of me. My knees trembled before they finally sent me to the floor, narrowly missing the disgusting puddle as I continued to dry heave over it. It took me a bit to recover but I made it a point to look away from the corpse as I shakily rose to my feet. I had talked _so casually _about death, acting as if I didn't care about those kids, but I guess remnants of my old life were still strong. I couldn't stop the rush of sorrow for the family who wouldn't be able to see their beloved child any longer, if the kid even _had_ a family, which served to make the thought even harder to bear.

_W-what if they had no one... To die alone and s-scared... I...I'm so sorry._ I couldn't stop the tears that pooled in my eyes. _Forgive me for thinking so lightly of your life. Please forgive me... I'm sorry..._

"Hmph, there you are." Oh. "I've been looking for you, ya know."

Oh. Shit.

My head snapped up at the painfully familiar voice and my eyes widened at the sight of him. He stood there at the other end of the corridor, body splattered with streaks of blood and a hand casually in the pocket of his pants. Clutched in his opposite one was a simple katana drenched with the blood of his victims. Fear squeezed my rapidly beating heart as he slowly strided forwards, a glint of madness in his eye and malice on his lips. I grabbed up my sword and scrambled away in terror, clutching the weapon to my chest like a sort of security blanket.

I licked my dry lips as I tried to speak. No words came out.

He grinned. I gulped.

"Well, well... To think that'd I'd find you on the floor already crying..." He smirked as he casually stepped closer and closer. "I'll admit I'm a little disappointed—I wanted to be the only one who could make you cry."

I huffed out a question. "W-why are you... Why-"

"Why am I after you?" He supplied. "Because I can, first of all. Secondly, you're _weak_." His grin fell from his face. "Yet... You're the _only_ person to have the nerve to threaten me and look at me like I'm _scum_." His teeth pulled into a snarl as he regarded me.

What the hell was he talking about? "I-I never-"

"_If you come at me, I won't hesitate to kill you._" He mocked in a shrill tone, as if to imitate me. "Do you _know_ how many nights those words have kept me up? How long I've pictured you saying them to me over and over a**nd over and over and over and over again!?**"

He sharply pointed his sword towards me. "Do you know how long I've dreamt of cutting you up!? Of slicing you into tiny pieces!? Of wrapping my hands around your neck and chocking you until you're blue!? Of disfiguring you so terribly, your little friends wouldn't even recognize you!?" My eyes widened and my breath quickened as the pressure in the corridor became heavier with Zabuza's Killing Intent. "Do you know!? Huh!? **Do you know, Shizuka!?**"

I was speechless. To have such pure _hate_ directed at me... It was too much for me... There was nothing I could do...! I couldn't... I... I... I'm going to die...!

_Don't you __**dare**__ cry again, Shizuka! _My mind yelled into my ears. _Get up! Get up right damn now and kill him! Defend yourself! _**NOW!**

"I-I... I can't..." I whimpered as he stalked closer and closer. "N-no...! No... I-"

He loomed over me, his eyes glowing with anger and his aura filled enmity. "I'm going to _love_ **DeStRoYiNg** you, Shizuka...!" His smile curled into one filled with lunacy.

He brought his sword down.

_It's the killer. _My brain stated flatly. _Do not die._

_Do. Not. Die._

**Do. Not. Die.**

_**Do! NoT! dIe!**_

...

My brain went into overdrive.

My vision turned red.

...

Self-control was gone.

...

* * *

**. Interlude - Yamame**

* * *

"I _swear_ when I find her, I'm gonna..." The brown-haired girl trailed off in a fit of mumbles and grumbles as she made her way back through the fog and to the Academy.

Shizuka wasn't one to forego her promises. If Shizuka said she was gonna make her something special, then, Shizuka would. Yamame was most assured of that but that didn't mean she didn't have the right to be angry whenever the redhead girl was tardy. Yamame _hated_ tardiness. She'd dealt with enough tardiness to last a lifetime.

"I wonder where she is..." She wondered aloud as she entered the school, her large eyes wandering over the empty hall. "Is she still in class...?"

A sharp scream jolted the young girl and her hand reflexively went to grab the kunai she had stashed away.

_Are we being attacked?_ Her fingers tightened around her weapon as she slowly crept along the corridor. _I have to find Shizuka and get out of here!_

Another scream made her heart jump into her throat. She'd _never_ admit it and, especially not to Shizuka, but Yamame wasn't as brave as she let on. She was afraid of bugs and she was afraid of the dark, too. She rattled off another set of her fears as she slowly rounded a corner and, then...

"Ugh! What is that-" Her eyes widened as she saw the bodies splayed out in front her.

_W-what?_ Her hands trembled as she stared at the corpes littering the floors. _W-what's going on...!?_

"Do you know!? Huh!? **Do you know, Shizuka!?**"

Her head snapped up at the mention of Shizuka and she quickly edged around the dead bodies, grimacing all the while, and knelt at the corner of the corridor. Her shoulders sagged as a heavy pressure weighted on her and it took all Yamame had to keep the cry of fear looked in her throat and for her eyes to stay fastened on the events unfolding in front of her.

A boy covered in blood stood over Shizuka, his sword drawn over his head as he glared down at her. Yamame's hands covered her mouth as she witnessed the terror reflected in Shizuka's green eyes. Her brain wanted her body to _move_ but...it was that boy's Killing Intent keeping her weighted down and frozen in place as he brought his weapon down on her roommate.

_Shizuka...!_ Her brained screamed._ RUN!_

_'Clang!'_

She was sure her eyes had taken up her whole face as she watched. No longer was Shizuka on the floor trembling. Instead, she was kneeling with her sword above her head, the sheath being used to hold the boy's blade at bay. The boy let out an vicious growl as Shizuka forcefully parried his sword, sending him hopping back and ready to strike once again. The redhead slowly stood to her full height as she swiftly pulled her blade from its sheath. Shizuka gave forth a scream that was so _piercing _and _painful_ as Killing Intent burst out of her and compressed the corridor. Yamame felt tears streaming from her eyes and spittle gathering at the corners of her mouth from the sheer force of it. The two sword-wielders dashed at each other so quickly that Yamame could hardly keep up with them.

_'Clang!'_

_'Clang!'_

_'Clang!'_

_'Clang!'_

_'Clang!'_

She'd never seen anything like it before. The speed... The power... The _desperation_... The way the two of them fought, a flurry of parries and slashes, and the way their auras clashed together was unlike _anything_ Yamame had ever witnessed before. It was almost like some sort of..._macabre _dance_, _where they were the performers and she was the lone witness who had the horror of seeing such a gruesome thing.

_They... They're..._ The young girl's breath came out as heavy pants. _They're like...demons..._

And all too soon, the performance came to an end. Shizuka's beautiful movements were stopped as she slipped in some sort of liquid and a gasp tore from Yamame's throat as everything seemed to go in slow motion. The redhead girl fell back and the blood-drenched boy's grin split open as he followed her descension down, his sword piercing through her abdomen. He straddled her waist as he clenched the hilt of his sword, digging it deeper and deeper into the smaller one. Yamame felt bile rush up as she watched Shizuka's raised hand fall lifelessly to her side while her sword clattered to the ground.

Chilling laughter filled the corridor as the boy continued digging his sword into Shizuka but, suddenly, so _very suddenly_, a sharp shriek filled the air and Shizuka's still body began to thrash violently. Yamame imagined that the boy's face was filled with the same shock that her's displayed when he was thrown off and skewered through by a heavy-breathing Shizuka.

"_N-no...way..._" The boy gasped with dialated eyes as he stared at the girl above. "I_..I was supposed to_..." He coughed heavily, blood dribbling forth from his mouth.

"You.._will not_...**KILL ME!**" And with a final slash to the boy's torso and face, her body pitched backwards, falling once again to the ground with the boy's sword still stuck in her gut.

And that was how the dance ended.

Yamame felt her vision blurring and her breaths coming out as short, quick gasps and, just before her consciousness left her, she caught a glimpse of uniformed figures standing over the two fallen combatants. Her hand slowly reached out towards the redhead girl.

"...Shi...zu...ka..."

...

And, then...

...

* * *

**.**

* * *

**A/N: **DOUBLE KO!

And, finally, the Zabuza fight is finished! It took me _forever_ to write this chapter! And I suck at fight scenes lol so I had to do it in a third person POV which happened to be Yamame's. I'm glad it's through so we can finally move forward to the good stuff! Yay!

On a different note, I really want to thank everyone for the reviews, the favs and follows _and_ the ideas. I know our heroine's abilites are still relatively vague at the moment but she _did_ learn the paralysis jutsu so she's getting somewhere. The hard part about jutsu is that it's not like she's going to go through a whole bunch of them through a battle—most likely, she'd probably spam one or two. Sorta like how Naruto only really used the Shadow Clone and the Rasengan. Having too many jutsu would be a waste of time, in my opinion.

Oh. Extra points to the person who can spot the sexual innuendo and the video game reference in this chapter. They're not the same things—they're seperate. While I was typing, I didn't realize how innappropriate the first one sounded until after I typed it and I was too lazy to change it lol

To give a hint, imagine if Shizuka was a boy for the first one (_as one reviewer already thought. I'm looking at you, _**iluvfairytale**_ lol_) and the video game has sheep in it.

But, anyways, I'll see you guys next chapter! Bye XD


	7. VI: Planning and Promotions

**Disclaimer:** The only things that I own is this story's plot and any OCs that appear throughout the story. The characters of _Naruto_ belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I make absolutely no money.

* * *

**Scarlet Waters - Chapter Six - Planning and Promotions**

* * *

**.**

* * *

_"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"_

_"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."_

_"I don't care much where_—"

"_Then it doesn't matter which way you go."_

_-_Lewis Carrol, _Alice in Wonderland_

* * *

**.**

* * *

The first thing I felt was pain; a steady, throbbing pain that coursed through the entirety of my body. Instinctively, my eyes opened and I immediately regretted the action as piercingly bright light blinded me, making me squeeze them shut and groan softly.

_What happened to me_, I thought blearily. _Where am I?_

My stomach flipped when the strong, sterile smell of bleach assaulted my nostrils and made my head throb along with the rest of my aching limbs. A hospital—I was in a hospital but for what?

Fragments of images flashed before my eyes and, for a moment, I thought that maybe I was back where I belonged, recovering in one of the hospitals from a car accident-induced coma. Then, the _rest_ of the images flickered into my memory...

The accident and my subsequent drowning, being reborn, the orphanage and the twins, being drafted into the Academy, Yamame, Zabuza, his rage_hatedeathdon'tdie__**don'tdie**__DoNotDie__**DoNoTdIe**_—

I sucked in a sharp intake of air as my focus restored and the impact of previous events hammered into my tender head. Everything had started peacefully enough until _that _happened, then something in me just _snapped_ when he stood over me with sword raised and ready to attack. The best way to describe following moments would be to say it was like having an out-of-body experience. Recalling how I'd held my own against Zabuza was something that I just couldn't get over...

It was unbelievable.

_I... I'm alive?_ I still couldn't quite wrap my head around it, despite the obviousness of my state and my remembrance of everything that had happened. _Really? I survived?_

I pushed myself up using my elbows, flinching violently as a sharp pain shot from my stomach throughout the rest of my body. _Damn it, I forgot he stabbed me_, I inwardly groused as I slowly rolled up the hospital-issued shirt. My lips turned into a grimace as I took in the bandages wrapped snugly around my abdomen and the dried blood staining them.

My head lifted as the sound of a door creaking open filled the room and my eyes narrowed as a woman, a nurse, stepped in. Her eyes widened at the sight of me before she recovered. She offered a small, unsure smile. "I didn't think you'd be awake so soon."

My tongue darted out to lick dry, cracked lips before speaking. "H-how long...have I been out?" My voice came out hoarse and it felt as if I'd eaten a handful of sand. "I— What happened...to me?"

The nurse stepped in swiftly, closing the door behind her and taking the clipboard from the edge of the bed. "Mmm... You were brought in about four days ago for a stab wound through the abdomen that pierced your liver. There were signs of tearing and heavy bleeding but we were able to stabilize you."

"Why...do I have...stitches?" I was under the impression that with medical ninjutsu, there wouldn't be any need for bandages or stitches.

"Ah," She looked down at the clipboard as she spoke, "You were tended to by a medic-nin on site but, due to certain..._circumstances_, you were transported to the hospital and placed into a traditional procedure."

"Oh." I stated simply as I leaned back into the surprisingly soft pillows.

Her smile dropped an increment. "To be honest, it's a surprise that you're awake so soon after surgery, especially when your age, stature and the fact that you were subjected to a traditional operation are brought into consideration." Her lips twisted into a small frown. "Then, there was the mental and physical strain on your body _plus_ the mild chakra exhaustion—the doctors surmised you wouldn't wake up for at least another two week. Tops."

I blinked in surprise. "Really?" The mental and physical strain I could understand given what I was going through at the time but the chakra exhaustion? I only recalled using the Paralysis jutsu that day and then...

...

_Ah_. Killing Intent.

Contrary to popular belief, Killing Intent was a jutsu in its own respect. It was the projection of strong emotions, usually negative, through the use of chakra and the effects of it varied depending on multiple stimuli. I may not have been in control of my body at the time but I can still see what happened; I _do_ remember Killing Intent bursting out of me near the beginning of our altercation. Had I really put that much power into it?

_Now that I think about_, My lips curled into a small smirk. _I _was_ pretty badass, wasn't I?_

But it wasn't due to my own abilities. The surge of power and speed I experienced was due to adrenaline and hysteria filling my body. Had those elements not kicked in, I would've been _dead_, no questions asked. My smirk immediately fell at the thought of my own weakness and helplessness—I never wanted to feel that way again. I _wouldn't_ feel that way again. Never. Especially not in the face of Zabuza Momochi.

Speaking of which...

"U-um," I frowned at the hoarseness of my voice. "Did...someone _else_...get brought in with...me that day?"

The nurse cocked a bemused eyebrow. "No one...that _I_ can think of." She shook her head and smiled. "You shouldn't worry too much about it. Just focus on getting well, okay?"

_Shit_. Did that mean Zabuza was _dead_?

...

That was something I didn't expect to happen. I mean, I _know_ I said if he attacked me, I wouldn't hesitate to kill him but, I didn't honestly think I'd actually _kill_ him! There I was, worried about Gōzu and Meizu throwing of the cosmic balance if something happened to them, but I'd managed to kill off an important character that provided a pivotal point of character development for the hero which could possibly effect the plot as I knew it.

_I_ did that.

_Me_.

If the world imploded, it would be _my_ fault.

...

_Shit balls_.

I pushed myself up with my elbows once again to do the one thing that would be acceptable in such a situation: I _face-palmed_ and just shook my head in exasperation. After a few moments, I lowered my hand to see the nurse blinking rapidly at my actions but I ignored the discomfort on her face. My lips thinned into a grim line as I struggled to sit up completely.

"Can you...get me a...notepad and...pencil, please?" I coughed with a grimace. "A-and a jug of...water, too?"

Time to jot.

* * *

After going through a check-up by a doctor on my health and a changing of my bandages, I was left alone with my notepad and a bowl of disgusting looking broth. Given the fact that I hadn't eaten in about a week, I swallowed down the gruel with minimal protests. Fortunately, it didn't have a distinct taste—it was almost like eating plain oatmeal—and it was hot so I relished in the comforting heat that pooled in my stomach as I ate and began my notes.

I started with the person who caused this mess in the first place: _Zabuza Momochi_.

In the _Naruto_ series, Zabuza Momochi was a missing-nin from Kirigakure and a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, often referred to as the "Demon of the Hidden Mist."

His childhood is unknown, other than the fact the he murdered over one hundred students when he himself was not yet one in Mist's infamous academy exams. The event was indeed a tragedy but, due to his actions, the lethal graduation exams were discontinued thereafter. After, he was promoted to genin either because a lack of graduates or his abilities and, as the years passed, his fame grew as he became an ANBU, killed some Konoha shinobi and joined the SNSSM, becoming the wielder of Kubikiribōchō.

During some unknown time, he found Haku and attempted a coup d'etat on the Mizukage—presumably Yagura—before he fled Kiri along with the Demon Brothers and Haku. They became mercenary ninja to collect money for another coup on the Mizukage. Fast forward to the beginning of the series and he's a hired thug for Gatō, a shady business tyrant and drug dealer, and he encounters Team 7. Zabuza and Haku leave an _big_ impact on Naruto, instilling the reason he works so hard in his efforts to be a shinobi and hero.

He and Haku die together on the Great Naruto Bridge.

...

In the series, that is.

Here, he was killed off by some unknown redheaded girl who, in canon, probably died during his massacre.

I didn't even try to stop the incoming face-palm.

**_Great going, Shizuka._ **My mind drawled sarcastically. **_Nice job breaking it, hero._**

I shook my head for a bit longer before I continued on.

Now, given the fact that the nurse hadn't really said anything about him or _anyone_, for that matter, I can only hope _with every fiber of my being _that Zabuza could possibly still be alive somehow. Maybe, his hate for me was _so intense_ that it willed his body to continue living even after I skewered him through like a shish kebab and possibly blinded him in one eye.

_Oops_.

At the moment, though, I would just have to assume he was..._dead_.

...

_Urgh_.

Where did that leave me, then?

I had options but the most prevalent ones were to take up Zabuza's role in the series _or_ fix things in my own way, without sullying what the man could've, _should've _been. I wasn't keen on that first one—I'd already killed the guy (_hopefully not_), the last thing I wanted to do was to replace him and take credit for what he brought to the table. He was a murderer at the end of the day but he'd done _some_ good things in his life.

Well, he was _supposed _to.

_Stop thinking about it, Shizuka. _I admonished to myself as I clenched my pencil tightly._ Just...let it go. Things will work themselves out. Hopefully._

I breathed out a sigh. "What do I do, then?"

_**Let's focus on the present with short-term goals, okay?** _My mind supplied. **_Before we can attempt to change _anything_, we need to focus on ourselves first_; w_e can't help others if we can't help ourselves._**

"Fair enough." I grumbled as I chewed on the wooden utensil, lightly glaring at the absence of an eraser. "Where to start, though...?"

**_Your abilities._** My mind instantly fired out. **_List your strengths and your weaknesses, the techniques you know, then, list skills that would compliment you and things that would be useful to know._**

"All right..." I mumbled distractedly.

My skills were average—decent taijutsu, kenjutsu, speed, dexterity, chakra control and aim. My only outstanding qualities would be stamina and the amount of chakra I contained. I could perform all the E-ranked Academy jutsu (_minus the Clone jutsu_), the Hiding in Water jutsu, water- and presumably tree-walking and one D-ranked jutsu, the Temporary Paralysis jutsu, which I could strengthen depending on how much chakra I fed into it.

Weaknesses included genjutsu casting and the tendency to go into hysteria when my mind thought my body was in dire straits. As a ninja, near-death situations transformed into instant-death situations and uncontrollable fear and berserk buttons needed to be suppressed until there were no other options for me. I cringed at the thought of the missions I could possibly get that required me to play helpless damsel—I had a feeling I would have to do that often in the immediate future.

It left a bad taste in my mouth.

"Options..."

In light of my battle with Zabuza, I wouldn't mark becoming a close-range fighter off my list just yet. Recalling the speed and precision that my body moved with—regardless of if it was actually _me _in control—I couldn't help but be a bit enamored with the thought of becoming a mistress of the blade. It was very much doable, given the regimen of the 'Water Cutting Fist.' My only problem would arise in the form of locating a mentor to help monitor my progress.

Becoming a mid-long range ninjutsu-type wasn't completely out of my grasp, either. I had more than enough chakra to fire off multiple moves before growing tired. Even now, when I used that paralysis jutsu, I wasn't as fatigued as I thought I would be, so learning offensive ninjutsu early wasn't impossible. I wasn't quite sure about my chakra affinity but it was most likely water as I was able to learn the Hiding in Water jutsu without too many problems. If Kakashi's words about a shinobi having to master two types of elemental chakra to become jōnin applied to Kirigakure, I'd probably put my efforts into learning either wind or lightning to compliment my presumed affinity with water.

As a budding kunoichi of the Mist (_it hurt to say that_—_I hated Kirigakure_), learning the Hiding in Mist jutsu and Water Clone jutsu was a must. Not only were they staples of the village, they were also handy when it came to creating a diversion or setting up traps. The Academy didn't go too far into trap making, preferring to teach us how to kill in one strike, so not too many people would be on the look out for a trap master in the form of a Kirigakure shinobi.

I won't lie. I've had my share of thoughts about stringing up some poor sap with metal wire and watching him squirm like an insect before dispatching of him brutally and without remorse.

**_You've been in the Mist for too long, Shizuka._ **My mind said with a hint of wariness. **_It's affecting your brain._**

I shrugged. "At least I haven't murde—" I frowned deeply. "Nevermind..."

_**U-uh...! Moving on!** _My brain gasped out quickly.

Right...

Going on to lesser practiced subjects, fūinjutsu was an art I most definitely wanted to try my hand at. The theory behind it was relatively unknown unless one had a natural aptitude to learn and understand but it still wouldn't hurt to try. Creating my own explosive tags and storage scrolls would also cut down on the funds I'd have to spend in the long run. I could also use it to seal and protect my notes from prying eyes and I had a feeling silence seals would become a favorite of mine.

I stopped my furious jotting, my eyes reading over the paragraphs about the missing Momochi boy. "Yeah... I may want to get on that one soon..." I scribbled out the majority of it, hoping no one would be able to read it.

Learning barrier ninjutsu wouldn't be a bad idea, either, when I thought about the defensive and offensive capabilities. Seeking out a Sealing Master would ultimately be the problem with that avenue but, if going by the number of characters that could actually perform fūinjutsu in the series, then I had a good chance of learning a few tricks on my own.

I re-evaluated my views on medical ninjutsu because the area doesn't have to be used only to _heal_—Kabuto was a prime example of that. Leaning how to make Chakra Scalpels and the Mystical Palm jutsu wasn't what I meant but, rather, learning the body's anatomy, all the tenketsu and how various poisonous agents affected it. If I ended up tinkering with poisons, I wanted to build up an immunity for them.

Actually, I should probably do that regardless.

"There." I muttered softly, reading over my notes in satisfaction. "So many options, only about..." I paused briefly. "Only about seventeen years before the start of the series, if my math is correct."

_**We have seventeen years to prepare for what's to come.** _My mind stated softly. _**We may not be in Konoha but there is** _plenty**_ in Kirigakure that can be changed for the greater good, Shizuka._**

I leaned back into the cool pillow and drew the blankets over my body. "Yeah, all we have to do is plan and tread carefully."

Yes... There _were_ things to be done in Kirigakure—things that no one else had the knowledge to change except _me_. I hated Kiri for the way that it was presently but that didn't mean that I couldn't grow to love it in the future. With some careful planning and forethought, I could transform the Hidden Mist Village into something more than a factory of missing-nin and terror, more than a place that thrived on fear and desperation.

I could do it. I _could_. No one else but me had the power to change Kirigakure for the better.

...

"Yeah... I don't have to be...so helpless." I grumbled before drifting into the darkness of sleep. "I can...do...it..."

* * *

Another few days passed without much happening, other than my jotting down more notes. Due to my abnormal healing, the doctors were adamant about keeping me for observation, not only to make sure I didn't have any hidden wounds but to also study me like some test subject. It wasn't anything serious, just some shots and blood-chakra tests.

I was somewhat neutral about it—I didn't like being prodded but I'd grown fond of the tasteless oatmeal-broth they kept giving me so I didn't complain much. After eating nothing but ramen and vegetables for a couple of years, I wouldn't be ungrateful for the changes I was given.

I sighed softly. "I'm getting a little restless in here..."

"Well, that won't last for much longer." A voice chuckled from next to me.

My body tensed as my head snapped up. My mouth dropped in shock. "M-M-M-Mizukage-sama!?"

What the hell was Yagura doing in here? Better yet, _when_ did he get in here? I didn't sense his chakra approaching nor did I feel his presence entering the room so where did he come from? I swallowed the question that burned on my tongue, instead asking something much safer. "M-Mizukage-sama, what are you doing here?" I cringed at how high my voice had gotten.

He tilted his head to the side slightly, giving an impression of innocent curiosity. "I merely wanted to congratulate you on surviving that..._ordeal_, Shizuka." A shrewd smile touched his soft features. "To be perfectly honest, I expected you to die during surgery. It takes tenacity to outlast such obstacles."

Oh.

My eyebrow twitched slightly. It seemed as if it was Yagura's doing that the medic-nin hadn't healed me on sight—he wanted to gauge if I was worth keeping alive. I may have survived the cavalry but he wanted to see if I'd live through the aftershocks, too. His lips quirked up at one corner, indicating that I was indeed right.

I forced my body to relax, pressed my fear down and nodded my head shortly. "...Thank you, Mizukage-sama."

He stared at me for a long moment before he covered a chuckle with his hand. His shoulders hunched and his eyes closed, giving him a mischievous aura and I just wanted to punch him in the face for being a jerk and then kiss his cheeks for being such a damn _cutie_. I barely suppressed the flush that pooled in my cheeks at my feuding thoughts and I ran a hand nervously through my hair as Yagura's chuckles died down.

"Excuse me. That was rude of me." He said politely, the amusement still evident in his voice let me know he didn't mean it. "As I was saying, I wanted to congratulate you and I also wanted to _thank_ you."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Thank me? For what?"

"For stopping that boy, of course." He smirked. "You both did us a favor—him by weeding out the failures and you for minimizing the number of troop necessary to restrain the boy."

My jaw clenched. "_Failures_, Mizukage-sama?"

"Yes, _failures_." His smirk stayed but his magenta eyes hardened. "I'm not too fond of them, you see, especially when one of those weaklings were to become a shinobi apart of Kirigakure's forces." His smirk fell as he folded his arms over his chest. "I loathe to think of how they would've fared on the field if an untrained street urchin was able to dispatch of them so easily."

It was hard trying to keep my anger down but, somehow, I managed to do it. _Somehow_. "I...see."

"Yes." He turned towards me, eyes searching my face. "But, you... Not only were you able to last against that boy but you were also able to subdue him." The smirk returned. "Kirigakure is looking for _stong _individuals like yourself to serve and protect it."

I remained silent, though, it only served to make his smirk grow broader. "It's decided...you'll be promoted to the rank of genin." He reached behind himself and tossed the clothed metal onto my lap. "From hence forth, you are now a shinobi of the Mist. Wear that headband proudly, Shizuka."

I stared down at the article blankly, letting his words soak into my brain. "I...I'm a genin?"

"Yes. You are." He seemed to be amused by my state. "The doctors have prepared release forms for you so that you may be on your way. There's no need to keep you for so long if you've recovered fully."

"Ah—"

"Once you are released, you are to report to the missions desk to register as an official genin and to receive your team assignment. Then, I'd suggest you pick up a list of D-rank missions to earn some funds. I've confiscated that student's voucher you were given."

"...Yes, Mizukage-sama."

He nodded shortly, giving me another long stare and a smirk before he finally left the room. I sagged in relief as I looked down at the metal clutched between my fingers. Honestly, I didn't know how I would feel if I ever received this thing but, now that it was in my hands, I felt like it wasn't mine to have. It _isn't_ mine to have—it's supposed to be Zabuza's.

"Why did you have to attack me, you idiot...?" I whimpered softly. "Why couldn't you just leave me alone...?"

**_Shizuka, please don't think about him right now._** My mind pleaded. **_Instead, did you notice any thing off about Yagura?_**

"No." I snapped irritably. "I don't have the Byakugan."

**_I know that_. _What I meant_—** My mind sighed softly. **_I meant, how old is Zabuza?_**

"He's supposed to be nine years old, I think. Why?"

**_When does Rin become the jinch__ūriki__?_**

"After the Kannabi Bridge mission." My eyebrows furrowed. "What are getting at?"

**_Zabuza is around the same age as Team Minato. If going by his age as comparison, that means that whole incident leading to Rin becoming a jinch__ūriki__ is some years off._**

"So?"

A heavy sigh. _**That** _means**_ that Yagura can't be the jinch__ūriki__ right now because he became the jinch__ūriki__ of Isobu _**after**_ Rin was killed. That means that Madara can't be in control of Yagura at this point in time._**

Oh. _Oh_.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Okay, so what? What does all of that mean besides the fact that I wish that Kishimoto had created a timeline for reference?"

**_Well, for one, it makes me wonder who exactly the Third Mizukage was. Second, it makes me wonder when Yagura became Isobu's container. Third, it makes me wonder just when Yagura became Mizukage. Fourth... It makes me wonder how old Yagura really is._**

Yagura _claims_ to be an adult but that's only during the Shippūden timeline, meaning he had a whole _decade_ before he could claim he was an adult. Trying to tell his age based on his appearance was _impossible_ because he looked virtually the same as he did in the anime—like some cute, delicate pixie-ish kid!

I rubbed my forehead. "Yagura _can't _be older than twenty right now. Hell, he can't be older than _fourteen_." I blinked. "Can he?"

_**Do you remember how he acted when you called him Mizukage?** _My mind asked. **_He laughed, almost as if you calling him that was funny. Don't you think that's wierd?_**

"No." I cocked an eyebrow. "He probably thinks I'm entertaining and _not _in a good way. More like in a condescending way." I frowned deeply. "What does it matter? Gaara became the Kazekage at, like, fifteen. Why can't Yagura do the same? He's probably some prodigy or something."

**_Well... I don't think he's Mizukage right now. Gaara was still the jinch__ūriki__ when he became Kazekage._**

"And? I doubt the selection of Kage works in the same way here as it does in Konoha or Suna. For all we know, Yagura could be related to the Third in some way and the village elders gave him to position as inheritance."

**_Why are you so adamant about making Yagura the Mizukage!?_**

"Why are you so adamant about him _not_ being the Mizukage!?" I hissed back.

**_Because it doesn't add up! Why would they let some kid_—_because he can't be an adult right now_—_be the leader of their village!? It doesn't make sense!_**

"He _has_ to be Mizukage! He was there at the opening ceremony! Why would they let some kid welcome the students!?"

**_Just because he welcomed you at the Academy doesn't automatically make him Mizukage! For all we know, the real Mizukage was sick and needed someone to fill in!_** My mind yelled back.

"That's stupid!"

**_As if your theory is any better! _**

"Oh, _piss_ off!"

"U-um...!"

My argument stopped abruptly as I looked up, eyes wide and cheeks burning in embarrassment. That nurse from before stood there in the doorway, her eyes equally wide and mouth slightly gaping as she stared at me.

**_Look at what you did._**

I bit my lip to keep myself from retorting, instead giving the woman what I hoped was a pleasant smile. "Was there something that you needed, ma'am?"

She jolted. "I-I just wanted to give you your clothes back!" She quickly placed them at the edge of the bed before she backed up. "Your release forms have been signed so you're free to leave at any time!"

**_Please leave, you crazy child who argues with herself! That's what she's thinking right now._**

My eye twitched. "Thank you very much. You can leave now."

The nurse stuttered out something as she closed the door. I heaved out a heavy sigh as I eased myself from bed and slowly began to tug my clothes back on. I really needed a hot shower and a hair brush.

...

And a Yamanaka to sort out these mental issues I've got going on.

* * *

**.**

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter isn't too exciting, not like last chapter. Just Shizuka becoming a genin. At seven years old. I hope that isn't bad; she's not becoming a genin because of her skills, more because of they need the manpower. Plus, Shizuka has taken to arguing with herself. Don't know if that's some kind of coping mechanism but... It's there.

I wonder where Zabuza is? Is he dead? Is he alive? We'll find out in later chapters.

Let's see... I also changed the rating to M because of language and the mention of a decapitated child in the last chapter and I changed the main character because I realized there will be _many_ of Kiri's characters throughout this story. I don't want say too much but there will be some big changes in who will be in Kiri by the time of the Fourth Shinobi War.

Yes, **RandomCitizen**, you figured out the innuendo. Good job :) Yes, **Guest**, I play _Catherine_. I love all games by Atlus and you'd be surprised if you knew all the games I've played by them. You'd also be surprised at what anime I watch, too, because I just started watching _Jojo's Bizarre Adventure._

I'll tell you one thing: It is the best thing I have ever had the honor of watching. The _poses_! The _MUSCLES_! _THE POSES!11!1! _Plus, I really like the animation style of the anime and I plan on reading the manga after I'm through with _Stardust Crusaders_.

It is also thanks to that anime that I am now into bara... So, there's that.

...

Go watch it.

...

Anyway, I wonder who Shizuka's genin team will consist of? Anyone want any specific characters? Just give me some suggestions and depending on who gets the most votes, they'll most likely be on her team.

Oh yeah. The argument Shizuka had with herself about Yagura is similar to the one I had with myself but, ultimately, all will be revealed as the chapters go on.

I thank everyone for the support, the reviews, the favs and follows—you guys make it a joy to write XD


	8. Important Notice

**On Hiatus for Editing and Revisement**

Sorry for the inconvience, guys. Don't fear, though, I haven't abandoned the story or anything and I _won't_, either.

Will be on hiatus for the rest of September and a bit of October due to studying for college but, during free time, I'll be revamping the story.

Changes to the story and dialogue will be very noticeable but the premise and events will ultimately be the same and familiar to those who've read the story before. Once finished, the chapters should flow better, contain a bit more story to the other events going on in the background and clear up the numerous inconsistencies that I've just noticed after all this time.

The main character should also have a clearer and definable personality along with flaws to match. I love Shizuka and all but I literally could not write _any_ descriptive words for her personality a couple days ago and I was like, "_Nope. She's a like a flat soda :/_" She'll be..._similar_ to her current self but she'll actually have a personality.

Once I get everything finished, I'll obviously delete this notice and then we can go back to enjoying our MC struggle through life lol

Oh and, guys, don't comment on this until I've taken this notice down. I want to do something special when we reach 100 reviews~!


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